Rip Hamilton hadn't played since Jan. 10 thanks to a feud with Detroit Pistons coach John Kuester. The pair disagreed on Rip's role, and Hamilton wasn't shy in the press about his displeasure. A week of DNP-CDs turned into two. Last week, the Pistons even went as far as to deactivate Hamilton, putting him in street clothes. Rip dressed Saturday, and actually played.
Rip Hamilton On Playing Again: ‘I Thought It Was A Joke’
Needless to say, he didn’t expect to be summoned. From Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press:
“It was kinda like ‘Is this a joke? Is somebody playing a joke on me?’ ” Hamilton said. “I thought it was a joke. I had no idea. No idea. Just yesterday I was inactive.”
Hamilton ended up scoring 15 as the Pistons won. That makes the unexpected appearance serve as a reminder that while Kuester and his two-guard were fighting, the Pistons could actually have used Rip on the court. Detroit has been fighting to get into the playoff race in the East (three games back), and Hamilton is without question one of the team’s top eight or nine players. Who knows whether he’d have helped them win a game or two in that stretch of DNP-CDs. It’s unlikely he would have hurt.
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