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Richard Hamilton left a superb legacy in the Motor City. Now, 15 years after he last played a game for the Pistons, the former three-time All-Star is inspiring a new generation of athletes. On Thursday afternoon, Hamilton hosted 60 kids for a Bank of America’s free Golf with Us clinic at Belle Isle Golf Center. "For me to give back to the kids, that is something that has always been me, and Detroit has adopted me as a son. This is home for me," Hamilton told The Detroit News. "Any opportunity where I can give back to the kids and inspire them is great. ... For me to show kids that Rip Hamilton is more than just a basketball player, and someone who cares about us, it is just an amazing thing to be a part of."
Hamilton wishes he had had the opportunity to learn the game as a child, but he was well aware that this was not possible due to the lack of golfing resources in Black and Latino communities. "Growing up in my neighborhood, the cool sports for us were basketball and football. We were never introduced to golf," Hamilton said. "Now, I take pride in showing that golf is cool and fun. It is a great social environment."
During the event, he spent much of the day teaching the kids the fundamentals of golf, serving as a coach in a way that was quite different from Larry Brown's coaching methods. "I'm not like Larry Brown yelling and screaming at all the kids," Hamilton said. "Golf is a game I am truly passionate about, and I love that Bank of America is breaking down barriers to the sport for kids in our community through Golf with Us."
ESPN: Cade Cunningham showing love to franchise royalty Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Dwane Casey. Cade's on the verge of winning Detroit's first playoff series since 2008
Cade Cunningham showing love to franchise royalty Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Dwane Casey.
— ESPN (@espn) May 3, 2026
Cade's on the verge of winning Detroit's first playoff series since 2008 💪 pic.twitter.com/x3nyt8VxVW
Chauncey Billups was back in court Wednesday, along with multiple other defendants, for a status hearing in the federal case against an alleged poker-rigging scheme -- or Operation Royal Flush, as the Department of Justice announced in October. Billups, who was alleged to be a "face card" in the scheme, a well-known person used to attract players to rigged games, pleaded not guilty in November. On Wednesday, as he returned to court for an update on the case, his former backcourt-mate with the Detroit Pistons, Richard Hamilton, voiced his full support for Billups. "Chauncey's in a good place. We always have his back. Spoke to him multiple times," Hamilton told BetFTW and USA TODAY Sports. "So we're here to support him, but this ain't Chauncey. I know Chaunc. This ain't him. So, hopefully everything works out and everybody in the world realizes that Chauncey's one of the better people in this world."
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Omari Sanlofa II: Caught up with Rip Hamilton after the Shooting Stars Challenge. On watching the Pistons’ rise this season: “You’ve gotta really take your hat off to the organization for keeping the young guys and not trading them early to get a big time free agent.”
K.C. Johnson: There are sooooo many teammates back for Derrick Rose. Luol Deng, Taj Gibson, Joakim Noah, Ben Gordon, Kyle Korver, Kurt Thomas, Brad Miller, Thabo Sefolosha, Tyrus Thomas, Richard Hamilton, Aaron Gray and more. And Tom Thibodeau is in the house as well. Kirk Hinrich, James Johnson, Drew Gooden too. Also saw Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner here
Jorge Sierra: CJ McCollum passed Tobias Harris, Richard Hamilton and Larry Nance in scoring for No. 135 all-time. Kawhi Leonard moved ahead of Richard Jefferson for No. 161. McCollum entered the NBA two years after Kawhi.
Jorge Sierra: Jimmy Butler moved ahead of Richard Hamilton in playoff scoring for No. 42 all-time. He also passed all these guys in rebounds for No. 88 in NBA history: Marc Gasol James Worthy Cliff Hagan Rajon Rondo
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When asked about the players who influenced his style, CJ McCollum rattled off a list of all-time greats. “Besides my brother? I watched a lot of Allen Iverson. I watched a lot of Steve Nash. I watched a lot of Rip Hamilton. I watched young Gilbert [Arenas] and obviously Kobe and Mike,” McCollum said. “I watched all those guys but really, you know, for me, it was like figuring how to be successful and how to be impactful and how to create space in the league where everybody’s athletic and everybody’s fast and everybody’s good.”
Jorge Sierra: Kyle Lowry passed Tim Hardaway in assists last night for No. 19 all-time. Also: Damian Lillard moved ahead of Clyde Drexler for No. 37 in scoring. Devin Booker passed Richard Hamilton for No. 132.
HoopsHype: Mike Conley passed Jerry West in assists (No. 34 all-time) and Richard Hamilton in scoring (No. 128) last night. Still starting at age 36. Quite a career.