“Out there in the world you’re about to enter, the gap between what’s said and what’s done is too wide,” Grant Hill told the Class of 2025 of Duke University, urging them to “take the wheel” and not just be “passengers.” His message wasn’t just for the grads in front of him—it echoed beyond the room. His daughter, wrapping up her time at Lake Highland Prep, is getting ready to step into that world too, soon heading to the University of Florida in 2026. Not for basketball, though—that path’s not hers.
Grant Hill might be known for his smooth moves on the basketball court and Hall of Fame career, but his real passion shines through in his role as a dad. With his wife Tamia, he’s raising two remarkable daughters who are carving their own paths in sports, just not basketball. Big sister Myla Grace is making waves in MMA, while 17-year-old Lael Hill is turning heads on the soccer field. The family legacy of athletic excellence is very much alive and well.
That legacy hasn’t gone unnoticed. Longtime family friend Arnie Kander—Detroit’s first strength-and-conditioning coach for 23 seasons—took to Instagram to praise Lael’s rise. He wrote, “Crazy how time passes so quickly! I’ve known @realgranthill for over 30 years and cannot express enough his humble, passionate, excitement and curious nature about so many things! And I remember Lael when she was born, and now an amazing soccer player heading soon to play in College! You can see both her parents (@realtamiaworld and @realgranthill) in her, and her excitement for her next adventures!!”
Arnie Kander, who spent 23 seasons with the Detroit Pistons as their first strength and conditioning coach, remembers Grant Hill’s arrival with vivid admiration. “This kid ran like he was Carl Lewis. He jumped like he was Edwin Moses jumping over hurdles,” Kander said. Drafted third overall in 1994, Hill came to Detroit after four years at Duke, where he won two national championships, bringing with him sky-high expectations.
Following eight seasons in Orlando, Hill made Windermere home. Today, he co-owns both the Atlanta Hawks and NWSL’s Orlando Pride. Lael, his youngest, now stars for Orlando City ECNL—the top tier of youth girls’ soccer. That same fierce drive clearly runs in her veins. Her mother, Tamia, once noted the difference between their daughters: “Myla is very much like Grant. She’s very calm, easy, laid back. Lael is kind of feisty.” The Hill legacy isn’t just continuing — it’s evolving in exciting new ways.
With all the promise Lael shows, the same high expectations her dad carried are clearly alive in her journey. As part of the class of 2026, Lael is gearing up to take her talents to the University of Florida, ready to carve out her own legacy on the soccer field.
Grant Hill’s influence drives Lael’s dream of collegiate and pro soccer
Lael Hill’s love for soccer started in the most personal way—playing in the backyard with her dad, shooting goals past him as goalie. “One day I asked him if I could play soccer, and that is how it happened,” she recalls in an interview with Spectrum News 13. Though she tried her hand at many sports growing up, “I just got handed the soccer ball, and I just started liking that better than all the other sports.” That simple moment sparked a deep passion, one that grows stronger every time she steps on the field. For Lael, soccer is more than just a game—it’s where she truly finds joy and feels at home.
By age 15, Lael had outgrown the backyard and joined Orlando City ECNL, the top girls’ youth league in the country. She quickly became one of the club’s standout forwards, earning an invite to the ECNL National Selection Game in January 2025 and ranking inside the Top 13 in Florida’s Class of 2026 recruits, per ScoutHer Soccer’s recent rundown. At Lake Highland Prep, she helped lead the Highlanders to a district championship, finishing top-11 in Class 3A for goals scored.
SACRAMENTO – JANUARY 15: Grant Hill #33 of the Orlando Magic looks on against the Sacramento Kings on January 15, 2006 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. The Kings won 104-100. Notice: Copyright 2006 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
Her club and high-school exploits caught the eye of University of Florida coach Samantha Bohon, who offered Lael a scholarship early in her sophomore year. In August 2024. Behind it all, Lael carries the quiet strength and unwavering support of her father, NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill. “Oh, my dad is Grant Hill,” she says proudly. “Definitely my number 1 supporter. He comes to every game when he can with his busy schedule, so yeah, he is one of my top supporters.”
The weight of her family’s athletic legacy is never far from her mind, but rather than pressure, it fuels her dreams. “I do want to go pro… I want to have a legacy. Just to make it as far as I can.” For Lael, every goal scored and every game played is a step closer to carving out her own extraordinary story.
Lael’s got that same fire her dad’s known for, but she’s doing things her own way. With Grant Hill always in her corner and her passion driving her, she’s ready to make some serious waves at the University of Florida—and beyond.
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