Richard Hamilton

Richard 'Rip' Hamilton built a career on a skill most players ignored: running. His conditioning let him sprint off screens all game long until defenders wore down, and that constant motion, paired with a clean mid-range pull-up, made him the engine of Detroit's offense. After winning a national title at UConn, he was traded from Washington to the Pistons, where he grew into a three-time All-Star and the leading scorer of the 2004 championship team that upset the Lakers. Detroit reached six straight Eastern Conference Finals with Hamilton and a balanced, defense-first core that valued cohesion over stars. The clear face mask he wore after breaking his nose in 2003 became his signature. He averaged 17.1 points over 14 seasons, and the Pistons retired his No. 32 in 2017.