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An AAU teammate to Kobe as a teen and a champion at the collegiate and professional levels, Richard “Rip” Hamilton officially hung up his Jordans yesterday as he announced his retirement from the NBA. Over the course of his career, the skinny sharpshooter from Pennsylvania brought the mid-range game back to the League while becoming an All-Star in the D.
While his roundball resume is decorated, his sneaker story shines just the same. Years before columns like Kicks On Court and College Kicks On Court would help highlight and even encourage variety in the footwear field, a young Rip proved ahead of the game. From his storied start in Storrs to his latter days in Chicago, get familiar with Richard Hamilton’s KOC chronology in the latest Career Catalog.
UCONN
Select photos via Sole Collector & Sports Illustrated
Notable Sneakers: Air Jordan 14, Nike Air Foamposite One, Nike Air Son of Glove, Nike Air Penny 2, Nike Air Zoom Flight 98 The Glove, Nike Air Pippen 2
Boasting a backcourt of Khalid El-Amin, Ricky Moore and Rip himself, the UCONN Huskies were destined to cut down the nets in the Nine-Nine. As it would go, Hamilton proved to be the star of stars in Storrs, taking home Final Four MVP honors and capping off a college career canvased by kicks.
Following in the footsteps of Ray Allen and paving the trail for the likes of Caron Butler, Ben Gordon, Rudy Gay and many more after him, the scoring swingman made the most of the school’s Nike deal by breaking out the latest Pennys, Paytons, Pippens and of course, Air Jordans.
