Washington Wizards: 30 greatest players in franchise history
18. player. 142. . SG/SF. (1999-02). Richard Hamilton
Richard Hamilton was a college sensation as a member of the UConn Huskies. He won back-to-back Big East Player of the Year awards in 1997-98 and 1998-99, averaging 19.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 37.8 percent from the 3-point arc. Hamilton won an NCAA Championship with the Huskies in 1999 including the Most Outstanding Player award.
He joined the Wizards as the seventh overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. He spent three seasons with the Wizards before being moved to the Detroit Pistons in September 2002.
Hamilton averaged 15.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game through 212 appearances for Washington. He started in 111 games for the Wizards and seemed to be developing into a star among stars until the team traded him in the 2002 offseason.
His NBA career spanned 14 seasons with three different NBA teams. He became a three-time All-Star with the Pistons, where he spent the 2002-11 seasons. He averaged 18.4 points, 3.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game through 631 appearances with the Pistons.
Hamilton won the 2004 NBA championship with Detroit as well. He never made the postseason with the Wizards, but in his second playoff appearance with the Pistons, he won a ring. He was instant-offense in his prime, something the Wizards organization missed out on. Hamilton finished his career with the Chicago Bulls from the 2011-12 season until the 2012-13 season.