- Former NBA champion, Tyson Chandler, talked about Compton basketball legend Super Crip on the All the Smoke Podcast
- Super Crip, whose real name is David Hamilton, played college basketball at Auburn University
- Super Crip was once shot in the leg, but still played in a game only days later
When it comes to producing basketball talent, Compton, California, is one of the best at it. Compton has given us DeMar DeRozan, Tayshaun Prince, and Brandon Jennings, just to name a few NBA players.
Compton has also produced one of the best basketball talents and toughest players to never play in the NBA in David Hamilton, aka Super Crip. Hamilton had all the skills to play in the league and was better than most who stood before him.
This was something former NBA champion Tyson Chandler found out firsthand.
“So, I’m coming to high school, and I didn’t know who Super Crip was, I didn’t know nothing about him,” Chandler said on the All the Smoke Podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.
“So, I’m playing against him and he was big, athletic dude, right? I want to say like, he put his elbow up and was like, ‘Don’t move it’. I’m like, ‘What?’ So, I hit it down and we start playing. So, then I come after the game, coaches was like, ‘See, I like that. Wrestling them punks, I like that. You didn’t back down from Super Crip at all.’
“‘I was like, ‘Who?’ They’re like, ‘You know what he’s known for?’ I’m like, ‘No, but with a name like Super Crip, I already know what he’s known for.’ After that, he [Super Crip] came up to me and was like, ‘Hey, I got respect for you’ and dabbed me up.”
(Starts 14:35)
David Hamilton, aka Super Crip, was a true legend in Compton and in the California basketball world, in general. The legend of Super Crip would continue to grow, especially after a tragic incident that occurred in 1998.
“The day before, maybe two days before, he got shot,” Matt Barnes explained on the All the Smoke podcast.
After co-host Stephen Jackson asked where Hamilton got shot, both Barnes and guest Tyson Chandler stated Hamilton was shot in the leg.
“And played in the game,” Barnes was speaking about Super Crip playing in the Magic Johnson Roundball Classic.
Hamilton’s toughness was certainly shown to be otherworldly when he played in the Magic Johnson Roundball Classic. It was 1998, and Hamilton was hanging with a group of friends in Compton.
The group was sitting in their car, minding their own business, when a car pulled up and opened fire at them. One of Hamilton’s friends was killed in the shooting, while Hamilton was shot in the leg.
This was a tragic loss of life, and it potentially could mess up a rising basketball star’s chance at a professional career. What is more incredible was just a few days after being shot, Hamilton played in the Magic Johnson Roundball Classic.
This was a courageous act by David Hamilton. It showed how much he loved the game of basketball and much more. Most people would cower in their homes, and change their lives after such a horrific event.
Not Hamilton. Super Crip went on living life as normal, and it truly was a gutsy move by a legendary Compton baller.
Who Is Super Crip?
David Hamilton, aka Super Crip, might be well known in the Compton area, but for those outside the loop, will ask, who is Super Crip?
Hamilton was the star center at Compton High School back in the mid to late 1990s. As mentioned, his toughest was revered on the basketball court, as he played like a man among boys.
While Super Crip would never reach the NBA, he did play college ball at Auburn University. Hamilton didn’t see much playing time at Auburn, only averaging 16.4 minutes while putting up 5.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
All together, Hamilton only played two years at Auburn before his basketball career fizzled out. Still, the game of basketball and the City of Compton stay on the forefront of Hamilton’s life.
Today, Hamilton works with the Compton Magic. This is a basketball program in Compton that not only teaches kids the game of basketball but teaches their players how to become respectable men.
The Compton Magic was founded in 1993 when they initially worked with Compton High School basketball players. Super Crip was one of the original standout players, and today, the program has helped 40 of its players reach the NBA, while more than 300 have become college athletes.
It’s safe to say David Hamilton’s basketball skills and fierce personality, along with his physical and mental toughness, have inspired today’s Compton youth. Hamilton may not be a name people know outside of LA, but they should.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
