Richard Hamilton is one of the most underrated players of the 2000s. ‘Rip’ was a cornerstone of the Detroit Pistons franchise, playing with the team for 9 years and forming a formidable back-court duo with Chauncey Billups. Over his career, Hamilton was named to 3 All-Star teams and won the 2004 title with the Pistons.
His #32 jersey hands in the rafters of the Palace in Detroit and it’s because he never cheated the team on effort. Hamilton was a crucial player in their championship run and subsequent runs through the Playoffs. He made his All-Star leap after the 2004 championship season was over.
NBA players spend their entire careers searching for that one ring that justifies years of sacrifice for the game. Hamilton was lucky enough to get his moment in the sun early in his career, but the value of that championship isn’t lost on him.
The Pistons had an incredible run through the 2004 playoffs, making it all the way to the title despite being the 3 seed in their conference. Their rivals, the Indiana Pacers, were widely expected to make the Finals in Reggie Miller’s last season in the league.
Detroit took care of the Milwaukee Bucks in the First Round before being pushed to 7 games by the New Jersey Nets, who had already seen some Finals appearances in the last few seasons in the Semifinals. In the Conference Finals, they beat the Indiana Pacers in an upset to book a date against the LA Lakers.
The super-team Lakers that added Gary Payton and Karl Malone along with their core couldn’t figure out how to score on the Pistons, as their championship run ended with a 4-1 gentleman’s sweep. Rip Hamilton averaged 21.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists through that series, earning the championship ring that now adorns his fingers.
