Jordan Hill was a promising basketball player who debuted in the NBA in 2009 under the New York Knicks. He was known for his robust rebounds and impenetrable defense, but the hype died down suddenly. What happened to Jordan Hill?

After his nine-year stint in the NBA, he announced he retired in 2017—two years after getting arrested in Atlanta for reckless driving. However, Jordan Hill continues to be active as a mentor to young players.

This blog will dive into the life of Jordan Hill—his disappearance from the NBA scene, life after his NBA stint, and everything under the sun!

What is Jordan Hill Known For?

As an NBA player, Jordan Hill was famous for his outstanding rebounding skills. During his time as an active player, he had a knack for grabbing rebounds, whether defensive or offensive. He was an aggressive defender who blocked the shots and guarded their team’s zone.

Also, he was a sharpshooter who could score no matter which part of the court he was positioned in. Despite being an intimidating guard on the court, he never failed to impress his teammates with his friendly personality and positive attitude off the court. Most of all, he embodies professionalism with his hard work, talent, and dedication.

In case you did not know, Jordan Hill’s impressive skills were nurtured in a neighborhood in Newberry, South Carolina. After years of practice, he earned his closest chance of getting into the global basketball scene when he played for the Arizona Wildcats of the University of Arizona from 2006 to 2009.

Jordan Hill made a powerful entrance to the NBA scene in 2009 when drafted by the New York Knicks as the eighth overall pick. His career peak was during his time with the Lakers and quit in 2017 with Jordan Hill’s NBA stats at 7.9 average career points and 5.8 rebounds.

Overall, Jordan Hill made a name for himself as an outstanding player on and off the court. He was known for being a solid rebounder, guard, and scorer during games. Behind the basketball scene, he was well-liked for his kind personality.

Jordan Hill NBA Career Highlights

Jordan Hill had an average basketball stint, but he rocked the court at the time he was active. He was known for his impressive defensive strategies and scoring abilities. However, he did not have a huge break. Check out the bulleted list below to see how Jordan Hill built his basketball career.

• Collegiate Basketball Career

Jordan Hill played for the University of Arizona’s Arizona Wildcats for three years. He proved his potential back then by leaving the team with a 58% Field Goal Percentage, fifth highest in the all-time team record.

He ended his collegiate career with several accolades in his bag. He recorded 18.3 average points and 11.0 average rebounds in his 34 seasons. One of his awards was the Honorable Mention All-America of the Associated Press.

• NBA Draft 2009

Jordan Hill debuted in the NBA in 2009 as the New York Knicks’ eighth overall pick. Before the draft, basketball enthusiasts predicted he would join the top 5 picks. However, it was not possible when Stephen Curry was a part of the roster at the time.

• New York Knicks (2009 to 2010)

He played his first regular season in November 2009 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Before that, he played in the NBA Summer League, where he recorded an average of 14.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 0.6 assists.

His record during his stint in the Knicks was when he played against the Washington Wizards and ended the game with 21 points. However, he was then traded for 25 games during his rookie years.

• Houston Rockets (2010 to 2012)

This was the year when Jordan Hill first hit the slump. The Knicks traded him for 25 games, and that’s it. He did not make any notable achievements at the time.

• Los Angeles Lakers (2012 to 2015)

This was his shining moment, playing alongside Kobe Bryant. In particular, his best season was during the 2014-15 NBA season, wherein he recorded his personal best record of 12.0 points and 7.9 rebounds on average.

When he was about to leap up the score ladder, he was caught up in an issue involving reckless driving. After that, he repeatedly slumped because no team wanted to work with him.

• Indiana Pacers (2015 to 2016)

After hitting his second slump, he was then traded to the Pacers by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2015. He only had a year of a stint in the team, then got traded to the Timberwolves.

• Minnesota Timberwolves (2016 to 2017)

After being traded by the Indiana Pacers, the Timberwolves signed him up in 2016. After this year, he made no NBA appearances and retired from the league.

What Happened to Jordan Hill?

Jordan Hill as an NBA player, made a fair statement in his debut. However, he did not receive the attention everyone was forecasting before he was drafted into the NBA. What happened to Jordan Hill?

Jordan Hill, a forward for the Indiana Pacers at the time, was arrested on reckless driving charges in Atlanta. Even the president of basketball operations condoned the act.

He stated he was worried about Jordan Hill’s safety but will not tolerate this behavior. After that, he was just slowly fading from the basketball scene, perhaps because of the incident which made him lose his excellent standing.

Now, is Jordan Hill still in the NBA? The answer is no. Jordan Hill’s retirement was made in 2017. Although he was able to bail out, he could not regain the trust of the NBA teams to work with him. Hence, he only spent one year paying for the Timberwolves after his career with the Pacers.

However, it is unfair to credit his retirement to the incident alone. Most importantly, he did not lose his basketball passion after retirement. He became a mentor for youth basketball players, which you will learn in the next section.

Jordan Hill Post NBA Life

After his NBA stint, Jordan Hill pursued a different path. According to his Instagram profile, he is currently the Vice President of Southern Classic Food. It is a food company that sells seasonings.

Although there is not much news about his whereabouts these days, it is evident that he is living his best life outside of the NBA scene. Jordan Hill may have flopped in basketball, but now he is undoubtedly winning big in the food industry!

Wrapping Things Up: What Happened to Jordan Hill?

Jordan Hill was among the NBA hopefuls in 2009 and was luckily drafted in the same year. He was known for his defensive and scoring prowess, but his name slowly faded after a few years after his debut. What happened to Jordan Hill?

In 2015, Jordan Hilll was caught in an issue of reckless driving and was got apprehended. Two years later the incident, he left the NBA scene for good. However, it is unfair to say that Jordan Hill quit for this reason.

These days, Jordan Hill is an active Vice President of his own food company, Suuthern Classic Food. Hence, he is the legend that he is today! It proves that there is still hope after failure and success after loss.

If you wish to become a legend like Jordan Hill, focus on the fundamentals. He was an advanced player in defense and rebound, so you have to train as hard as you can to be on par with him.

There are many things we still do not know about Jordan Hill so far because of limited resources. So far, we know he is living his best life after his NBA career. He is more successful than we ever were. One thing is for sure, and he is earning big time as a vice president of a food company! 

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