Richard Hamilton (basketball)
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| Position | Shooting guard, Small forward |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Weight | 193 lb (88 kg) |
| Team | Detroit Pistons |
| Jersey | #32 |
| Born | February 14, 1978 Coatesville, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
| College | Connecticut |
| Draft | 7th overall, 1999 Washington Wizards |
| Pro career | 1999–present |
| Former teams | Washington Wizards (1999-2002) |
| Awards | 3-time NBA All-Star, NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, 1x NBA Champion |
Richard Clay "Rip" Hamilton (born February 14, 1978 in Coatesville, Pennsylvania) is an American National Basketball Association player for the Detroit Pistons. He is 6 ft 7 in, 193 pounds (2.01 m, 87.5 kg) and plays shooting guard and small forward.
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[edit] Playing career
Hamilton hails from Coatesville, Pennsylvania, and played college basketball at the University of Connecticut from 1996-99. He was named the 1999 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after UConn's run to that year's national title.
Hamilton was a lottery pick in that year's NBA draft and played for the Washington Wizards for his first three seasons as a professional. Hamilton, Hubert Davis and Bobby Simmons were then traded to the Detroit Pistons for Jerry Stackhouse, Brian Cardinal and Ratko Varda. Since the trade, Richard has become one of the NBA's top shooting guards, and helped the Pistons win the NBA Championship in 2004. Also, Hamilton was and still is the leading scorer on the team.
After fracturing his nose three times in the 2003-2004 season, Hamilton began wearing a protective mask. He has continued to wear the mask since it has become a symbol of strength. Hamilton says "It's like my Superman cape."[1]
On February 9, 2006, Hamilton earned his first selection to the 2006 NBA All-Star Game as a reserve guard for the Eastern Conference.
On December 27, 2006, Hamilton scored a career-high 51 points with a personal best 19-for-37 field goal shooting in a 151-145 triple-overtime Pistons loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.[2]
On January 9, 2007, Hamilton surpassed 10,000 career points with 22 points in a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
He represented the Eastern Conference for the second time at the 2007 NBA All-Star Game.
On February 17, 2008, Hamilton represented the Eastern Conference for the third consecutive season at the 2008 NBA All-Star Game.
On February 6, 2008, Hamilton was selected to be a part of the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, to be held on February 16, 2008 during All Star Weekend in New Orleans. He was defeated, however, by defending champion Jason Kapono.
On May 13, 2008, Hamilton surpassed Isiah Thomas as the all-time Piston leading scorer in the playoffs.
[edit] Media appearances
In the 2006-07 NBA season Hamilton appeared in the NBA Fundamentals series, hosted by TNT, where basketball players showcase certain aspects of the game. Hamilton explained the topic "movement without the ball" to shake off your defender. He stressed the importance of never standing still, always changing your speed and using screens of team mates. Hamilton also expressed admiration for his retired rival Reggie Miller, who he saw as a master of this art.
[edit] Personal
On October 31, 2007, Hamilton's girlfriend TJ Lottie gave birth to Richard Clay Hamilton II [1]
Early in the 2003-2004 season, Hamilton suffered a fractured nose. His nose was fractured again in late February and underwent nasal reconstructive surgery. He now wears a protective mask so as to prevent further injury. [3]
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Richard Hamilton Player Info at NBA.com
- Richard Hamilton Statistics at Basketball-Reference.com
- Rip's Official Website
- 2006 Richard Hamilton interview
| Preceded by Jeff Sheppard |
NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player (men's) 1999 |
Succeeded by Mateen Cleaves |
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