George Hill pays homage to hometown, thanks Bill Clinton for praise

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — This is no curious case of a professional athlete drifting away from its hometown.

George Hill. Authentic Hoosier. He still endorses Indianapolis and its east side, its Broad Ripple High School and IUPUI.

“It (Indiana) is tattooed all on my body,” Hill said. “An Indiana symbol on my ribs, ‘Indiana George’ on my back. I don’t think you can ever take me away from Indianapolis and Indiana. I love this city with all of my heart.”

After a midseason trade from last-place Cleveland to first-place Milwaukee, Hill finds himself on a winning team for the 10th time in 11 seasons. The 32-year-old is proving once again to be a key ingredient.

Need a campaign manager? Too late, Hill has one. And not just anyone — Hill has Bill Clinton in his corner. 

The nation’s 42nd president told NBA TV on Feb. 4 in Brooklyn, “It is a different team now; they’ve picked up, like, they’ve got George Hill. George Hill is reliable. He is a great team player. He adds value to every place he ever played.”

Well said “42.”

“It is a blessing,” Hill said. “To have a president bring you up in conversation and speak highly of you. … I have always tried to put things in my game. Be a good teammate, a hard worker, standing for something as a man. To get the president to speak highly of you, that goes down in the history books for me. … Not bad for a guy from the east side.”

He has worn four different jerseys in the last three seasons: a whirlwind for a guy who spent his first eight seasons with just two teams, San Antonio and Indiana. 

Despite the travels, take a look at Hill’s social media. “Indiana” is still everywhere.

“I kind of get a lot of grief, guys wanting me to change my name … especially when you are on another team. People are like, ‘You don’t play for Indiana anymore,’ and I tell people all of the time, ‘Indiana is not because of the Pacers. It is where I am from.’ I would never change it.”