GEORGE Hill has had a 15-year NBA career and played alongside LeBron James in the 2018 Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But the 37-year-old remains unemployed after being released by the Indiana Pacers at the end of the 2022-23 season.
George Hill is seeking a new opportunity in the NBACredit: Getty
The veteran guard last played for the Indiana PacersCredit: Getty
Hill played alongside LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018Credit: Getty
The veteran guard has made it clear he wants to continue playing and is awaiting the next opportunity ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season.
“I felt like I still have a lot left to offer, either on the floor or to pick the brain and being a vet,” Hill said upon re-joining the Pacers in February.
Hill has had a journeyman career, playing for eight franchises, including the San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder and two stints each at the Milwaukee Bucks and Pacers.
He remains a Pacers hero having led his hometown franchise to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014.
Hill has played in the NBA Finals just once, when the Cavaliers were swept by the Golden State Warriors in 2018.
He missed a potential game-winning free throw at the end of Game 1, which could have changed the complexion of the series.
With the Cavaliers down by one with 4.7 seconds, Hill stepped to the free-throw line with the opportunity to make a mark for a team he had joined prior to the February trade deadline.
He sank the first attempt to tie the game but could not convert the second and Cleveland would go on to lose 124-114 in overtime.
Hill says he was bothered by the free throw miss for a long time.
“You’re a little depressed at first because as a player, as a competitor, you put the blame on yourself a little bit,” Hill told The Athletic.
“All summer it kind of bothered me.
“If I hit that free throw, would it have been a different series? Or would it just have been 4-1?
“It’s getting a win instead of getting skunked. But if it’s 4-1 then it really doesn’t matter about one f**king game.
“But who knows? I hit that, the pressure is on them now.
“Maybe it’s a different series.”
Hill, who has made $112 million in his career, understands he may not play much at a future NBA team.
But he is happy to provide support and insight as a role player.
“I’ve always been a team-first guy. Do what the team needs,” he said.
“I’ve always been a top-tier teammate, encouraging my teammates and being positive.”