Ben Wallace Finds Rip Hamilton’s Return to Detroit ‘Weird’


Former teammates Ben Wallace and Rip Hamilton will be on opposing sides tonight when the Pistons and Bulls face off, and Wallace finds the whole thing quite bizarre. From the Detroit News: “For Tayshaun Prince, this is old hat, seeing a former teammate come to town wearing a different uniform. The lone key member of the 2004 title team that hasn’t worn an opposing jersey has seen it for everyone else: Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, and now, Hamilton. ‘It won’t be hard, I’ve had the situation with Chauncey, with Ben, with ‘Sheed,’ Prince said. ‘It wasn’t something I planned on seeing.’ Hamilton was released before the season began after reaching an agreement on a buyout for the last two years of his contract and signed with the Bulls. He’s nursing a groin injury, so it’s uncertain whether he’ll play tonight. When Billups returned as a member of the Nuggets after being traded for Allen Iverson, he received an extended ovation. Ben Wallace, however, admitted to some mixed feelings. ‘It’s gonna be weird,’ he said. ‘Anytime you see a guy move on that I feel like he was not only a good teammate, he was one of my brothers. I’m glad he’s happy.’ Prince hopes fans will remember the big shots Hamilton made and his approach to playing against some of the league’s best more than anything else. ‘You’ll hear a lot of claps, but you’ll hear a few boos here and there,’ Prince said. ‘It happens to most of the guys. … You’ll hear some boos because you’re in a different uniform. ‘Hamilton played nine seasons in Detroit, including the run of six consecutive Eastern Conference finals appearances, two NBA Finals and a title. He’s the Pistons career leading playoff scorer and the highest-paid player in team history.”