Hill says Cavs supported decision to attend graduation: 'They let me have this'

While his Cleveland Cavaliers teammates flew to Boston on Saturday to prepare for the start of their Eastern Conference finals series against the Celtics, point guard George Hill instead traveled to Indianapolis to don a cap and gown and receive his diploma from Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis.

Despite the inopportune timing, and the fact Hill missed the Cavs' final practice before their series tips off Sunday afternoon, his teammates were supportive of the decision.

"All of them said how it was a great accomplishment to graduate. They understood," Hill said, according to Matthew VanTryon of the Indy Star. "Yes we're in the Eastern Conference finals right now, but they understood the magnitude of this. It's always a big accomplishment to graduate from a university. They let me have this day."

Hill was not the first NBA player to attend his college graduation in the middle of a postseason run, and in similar situations teammates haven't necessarily been as supportive. But the fact the ceremony happened between series and not, say, on the day of a Game 7, probably made it easier to get behind.

This wasn't just a one-day process for Hill, though, as he's apparently been scrambling this year to do all the work necessary to finish his degree.

"It's not about how long it took me, it's about finishing the job," Hill said. "It was definitely hard. There were a lot of papers I had to write toward the end of this year, tests I had to take, trying to find time in between practice and games to get those things done. It was tough, but I was so focused on getting it done because I put it off for so long."

To Hill, the milestone is important not only to him personally, but to the AAU players he mentors at George Hill United.

"I'm big on education," he said. "I tell my AAU kids all the time how important it is to get good grades, go to college, get your degree to make your life easier. It's kind of contradictory with me telling them to do those things when I didn’t accomplish them myself."