Grant Hill says he was “in awe” of his daughter Myla Hill’s amateur MMA debut last week. Myla, daughter of the NBA Hall of Famer and his songstress wife Tamia, won her mixed martial arts debut at the Rival Fight League event, held in Lakeland, Florida.
Hill left a touching message on Twitter, praising his prize-fighting daughter and basking in his proud pap moment.
4 days later, and I'm still in awe of my daughter Myla's performance in her first amateur MMA fight. She was focused, composed (which her mother and I were not before & during the fight), aggressive & clearly not afraid of the moment inside the octagon. #TeamMyla #ProudDad https://t.co/Dx7slboFnF
— grant hill (@realgranthill33) November 2, 2021
Myla seems to have the skills to pay the bills because she quickly demolished her overmatched opponent Jenna Loza, taking her out with a vicious rear-naked chokehold in the first round of their fight at Rival Fight League: Halloween Havoc.
Myla had a lot of support as evidenced by the audio in the background of the video as she pummeled the competition. She definitely has her Dad’s winning spirit and athleticism. Her mat game is serious.
As the video made its way through social media, Myla also received support from the NBA community.
What a performance by @MylaHill her first amateur fight was a classic! She’s just getting started! Let’s Go champ! pic.twitter.com/8ZuJKQADDF
— Michael Carter-Willi (@mcarterwilliams) October 30, 2021
Grant Hill balled out in the NBA for 19 seasons and was a seven-time All-Star before being hit with injuries. At his peak, he made five All-NBA teams and was a member of one of the most well-known college hoops squads in history. Hill’s Duke Blue Devils won iconic national championships in 1991 and 1992.
Hill has been active in retirement as an NBA and college basketball analyst for Turner Sports for the last 10 years.
He helped the U.S. win Olympic gold in 1996 and in April 2019 was named the U.S. men’s national team managing director, replacing Jerry Colangelo, effective after the Tokyo Olympics. Hill is also a co-owner of the NBA franchise Atlanta Hawks and a member of the NCAA Board of Governors.
(1998) Grant Hill shakes Pippen and slaps the backboard post-dunk.
COLD. 🍿 pic.twitter.com/kU5v6bE3EA
— Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) August 9, 2020
Following several pay-for-play college basketball scandals and a heated discussion about the role the NCAA plays in creating these problems, The board was expanded to include Hill, former American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault, former university president Mary Sue Coleman, former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and Denis McDonough, who served as President Obama’s chief of staff.
The board is responsible for supporting new NIL laws that allow student athletes to get paid for their likeness. According to Commission on College Basketball chairwoman Condoleezza Rice, Grant was among the new senior members added to “help restore trust in college sports.”
While Grant continues to help shape the world of traditional sports, his daughter Myla has taken a renegade route of sorts, far different from her father’s straight-laced persona.
The world of women’s MMA has been on the radar ever since Ronda Rousey had a meteoric rise and became a global sensation before falling out of fame just as swiftly. The number of women boxers crossing into MMA to chase the bag is increasing as well.
GWOAT boxer Claressa Shields suffered her first MMA loss recently, but the promotion she received from Jake Paul insulting her is priceless. Myla is another name from a legendary sports family that is carving a name for herself as a new generation of MMA talent.
