Richard Hamilton Biography

Richard Clay Rip Hamilton was born on February 14, 1978, and is an American former professional basketball player who now serves as a basketball analyst for CBS Sports HQ. Hamilton played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association and was a three-time All-Star during his nine-year tenure with the Detroit Pistons. He was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player in his third and final college season, leading his team to an upset NCAA Championship victory over the favored Duke Blue Devils. Hamilton earned consensus first-team All-American honors and chose to leave college after his junior year to enter the NBA draft. Selected seventh overall by the Washington Wizards, he averaged 20 points per game during his time playing alongside Michael Jordan. Traded to Detroit in 2002 in exchange for Jerry Stackhouse, Hamilton spent nine seasons with the Pistons before concluding his career with two seasons for the Chicago Bulls. He played college basketball at the University of Connecticut from 1996 to 1999.