An owner, a broadcaster, a budding entrepreneur with a philanthropic vision. These all highlight Grant Hill’s exceptional off-court career. On court, he rewrote Duke lore, earning back‑to‑back titles (1991–92) and a retired No. 33. He earned accolades that led the way to a Hall of Fame induction. One of the most important chapters of his HOF career is during his spell at Duke. Recently, he was at his alma mater addressing the next generation. But the art of public speaking was a talent he had to develop.

On May 11, 2025, Hall of Famer Grant Hill returned to Wallace Wade Stadium as Duke’s Commencement speaker. And his speech was quite different. He barely mentioned his business ventures, instead choosing to impart wisdom passed down by his mother about how to live life. “My mom… Number seven on her set of principles reads, Don’t be a passenger in life. You see, she knew that values aren’t ideas. Values are verbs.” Janet Hill sadly passed away in 2022, yet her words remain as profound as ever.

It’s those words why the Duke legend’s career a success. But it was not easy, especially being good at public speaking. ” I never would have thought that I would have, you know, sort of be picked to give the commencement address. And I say that because, you know, I was a pretty shy, pretty, you know, kind of withdrawn, introverted, you know, young man when I arrived on campus,” said Grant Hill on Due South. But he knew there was only one way to improve.

As per the former Hawks star’s recollection In his freshman year, Hill enrolled in Public Speaking 101—taming his stutter and learned to slow his pace. “And it actually really helped me in terms of being able to articulate my thoughts, to be able to slow down. You know, I had a slight stutter prior, and just gave me some tools that I’ve used ever since. I used as I’m addressing the media, as a student athlete when I played at Duke, and obviously as I’ve gone on.”

On WUNC’s Due South, Hill shared how his mother’s values propelled him past every fear hosted by Leoneda Inge and Jeff Tiberii. Grant Hill spoke about overcoming his issue. But who would have thought that an acclaimed voice of TNT would even suffer from any problem? However, it was his mother’s lessons that always drove him not to care about failures.

Grant Hill: From stutter to stand‑and‑deliver

Janet Hill chaired Duke’s Honorary Degrees Committee (2016–21) before her death in 2022; all the flags on campus were lowered in her honor. So, when her son was on the campus this time to speak to the nervous students, Grant Hill explained to them with a real lesson. That success without gratitude could make us too comfortable, and that success without fortitude can make anyone corruptible.

“Our values require us to take the wheel. So don’t be a passenger. So I want to close with one last lesson from my mom. These are the first three words of her letter.’ Don’t fear failure.’ Yes, it’s inevitable. Yes, it’s how you grow. But there’s another reason my mom asked us to do this. Don’t fear failure, she said, because success is far more dangerous to the human condition.”

The 52-year-old not only addressed the student but also had a fitting tribute to his mother. Thus giving the students hope and an emotional lesson to never forget, unlike any materialistic success story.