Rip Hamilton was a talented shooting guard during his time in the league, destroying his opponents with his automatic midrange jumper, as well as playing stout perimeter defense. He is mostly known for his time with the Detroit Pistons, getting selected to 3 All-Star teams, and winning a championship with the team in 2004.
Prior to his time with the Detroit Pistons though, Rip Hamilton was on the Washington Wizards. On the Wizards, Hamilton was teammates with Michael Jordan during the 2001-02 season. When speaking to Brian Mazique of Heavy.com, Hamilton has lauded his experience playing with Jordan, and claimed that it was the “greatest experience of all time”.
On the basketball court… When you got an opportunity to learn from the GOAT, and the GOAT plays your position at the 2… it was the greatest experience of all time.
I was able to pick his brain each and every day. I’ve seen how he attacks the game. He was one of the guys that really validated my mid-range jump shot. In practice, working out with him; one day I’m guarding him, he takes two hard dribbles to the basket, pulls up and he’s like “Yo Rip, master that, get that in your game. That’s the hardest play in the game to guard.”
When people say negative impact… the only negative impact that I would say is that you don’t want to let him down. You playing with the GOAT, he pass the ball, you want to knock it down. You just don’t wanna let him down. All my experience with MJ has been great, I’ve been blessed and lucky to get the opportunity to play against him and also play with him in Washington.
There is no doubt that Michael Jordan left a positive impression on Rip Hamilton, and that Hamilton clearly was impacted by his mentorship during his time on the Washington Wizards. That is similar to what Michael Jordan’s other teammates have expressed over the years.
Michael Jordan is generally viewed as a great leader, and there is no doubt that the six championships he won with the Chicago Bulls show his ability to lead his team to win at the highest level. Michael Jordan was not only a good player but a stellar teammate as well.
