20 years ago Sunday: Hill and Kidd share ROY honors

They came from different places.

One, born in Texas, and raised by a teacher and a former NFL Pro-Bowler. The other, from California, would become one of the greatest players to ever come out of the Bay Area. But despite their differing paths to NBA stardom, Grant Hill and Jason Kidd will forever share a unique bond.

For only the second time in NBA history, Hill and Kidd earned co-Rookie of the Year honors for their regular-season performances in the 1994-95 season. The only other time the award was shared between two players was in 1971, when Geoff Petrie (Portland Trail Blazers) and Dave Cowens (Boston Celtics) split the accolade.

After an illustrious four-year collegiate career at Duke, which included two NCAA championships, Hill was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the third pick in the '94 draft. His rookie season stats were nothing short of impressive: 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and five assists per game.

The Pistons recently posted a retrospective video as a tribute to Hill, who played six seasons for the team.

Kidd was a floor general at California and 1994's Pac-10 Player of the Year. He was selected one spot ahead of Hill in the '94 draft, when the Dallas Mavericks nabbed him with the second overall pick.

He finished his inaugural pro season averaging 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game.

The impact Kidd had on the various franchises he played for cannot be disputed, as he was the ultimate team player. He helped Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks win the 2011 NBA Finals and finished his career second on the all-time assists list.

Twenty years ago today, Hill and Kidd were crowned as the league's best first-year players. Eighteen years later, the seasoned vets shared this endearing moment which would turn out to be their final meeting as pros on the hardwood: