Thomas Hamilton (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Thaddeus Hamilton (born April 3, 1975 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American former NBA basketball
player.
, graduating in 1993. He was a high school teammate of Rashard Griffith
(the 38th pick in the 1995 NBA Draft
) and the pair led their school to the 1993 Illinois State Basketball Championship.
The 7-foot, 2-inch, 330+ pound center
signed a letter of intent
to play for Lou Henson at the University of Illinois, but was not academically eligible, and ultimately attended the University of Pittsburgh
, though he did not play on the basketball team. In fact, Hamilton had never played basketball professionally (or in college) prior to the 1995-96 NBA season
.
at the beginning of the 1995-96 season but did not appear in a game until about five weeks remained in the regular season. He spent most of the season on both the injured and suspended lists. When he was fit to play, he appeared in 11 games and scored a total of 25 points. He averaged two rebounds and nearly one block per game in limited action. His weight was listed at 360 pounds when he taken off of the suspended list and appeared in his first NBA game. In his NBA debut on March 17, 1996, Hamilton had two points, two rebounds, and two blocked shots against the New Jersey Nets
. He would score a career-high 13 points and grab six rebounds in only 12 minutes against the Washington Bullets on April 10, 1996.
at the beginning of the 1999-2000 NBA season
. He played in 22 games and made seven starts. He suffered a lower back strain and placed on the injured list for nearly two months until he was released on January 13, 2000. He averaged 12.4 minutes, 3.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game with the Rockets.
In 2006, the American Basketball Association
invited Hamilton, along with other popular Chicago area college and high school stars, to try out for its 2006 team. Kiwane Garris
, Rico Hill, Ronnie Fields
, Sherrell Ford, Imari Sawyer, Kevin Turner, Tom Kleinschmidt
, Najeeb Echols, Evan Eschmeyer
, T.J. Lux and Jerry Gee were also recruited to play for the Chicago Rockstars.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player.
Pre-professional
Hamilton attended Chicago's Martin Luther King High SchoolKing College Prep High School
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. College Preparatory High School is a high school located in Chicago's Kenwood neighborhood on Drexel Blvd., about one kilometer from Lake Michigan...
, graduating in 1993. He was a high school teammate of Rashard Griffith
Rashard Griffith
Rashard Nathan Griffith is an American professional basketball player. Griffith, a native of Chicago, Illinois, starred for the nationally ranked King Jaguars of the Chicago Public League, where he was part of a "twin towers," as King, coached by Landon Cox, had 7'2" Thomas Hamilton and the 7'0"...
(the 38th pick in the 1995 NBA Draft
1995 NBA Draft
The 1995 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 1995 at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It marked the first NBA draft for the two Canadian expansion teams, Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies...
) and the pair led their school to the 1993 Illinois State Basketball Championship.
The 7-foot, 2-inch, 330+ pound center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
signed a letter of intent
Letter of intent
A letter of intent is a document outlining an agreement between two or more parties before the agreement is finalized. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement...
to play for Lou Henson at the University of Illinois, but was not academically eligible, and ultimately attended the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, though he did not play on the basketball team. In fact, Hamilton had never played basketball professionally (or in college) prior to the 1995-96 NBA season
1995-96 NBA season
The 1995–96 NBA season was the 50th season of the National Basketball Association , although the league didn't celebrate this anniversary until the following season...
.
Boston Celtics
Hamilton was signed by the Boston CelticsBoston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
at the beginning of the 1995-96 season but did not appear in a game until about five weeks remained in the regular season. He spent most of the season on both the injured and suspended lists. When he was fit to play, he appeared in 11 games and scored a total of 25 points. He averaged two rebounds and nearly one block per game in limited action. His weight was listed at 360 pounds when he taken off of the suspended list and appeared in his first NBA game. In his NBA debut on March 17, 1996, Hamilton had two points, two rebounds, and two blocked shots against the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. He would score a career-high 13 points and grab six rebounds in only 12 minutes against the Washington Bullets on April 10, 1996.
Houston Rockets
Hamilton was signed by the Houston RocketsHouston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
at the beginning of the 1999-2000 NBA season
1999-2000 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers*Co-Rookies of the Year: Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls; Steve Francis, Houston Rockets*Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat...
. He played in 22 games and made seven starts. He suffered a lower back strain and placed on the injured list for nearly two months until he was released on January 13, 2000. He averaged 12.4 minutes, 3.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game with the Rockets.
In 2006, the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
invited Hamilton, along with other popular Chicago area college and high school stars, to try out for its 2006 team. Kiwane Garris
Kiwane Garris
Kiwane Garris is an American former professional basketball player. He was listed as a 6'2" , 183 lb point guard....
, Rico Hill, Ronnie Fields
Ronnie Fields
Ronnie Fields is an American professional basketball player.-High school:Ronnie Fields played at Farragut Academy in Chicago from 1992–1996 and was a teammate of Kevin Garnett during the 1995 season. Fields had a 50-inch vertical leap...
, Sherrell Ford, Imari Sawyer, Kevin Turner, Tom Kleinschmidt
Tom Kleinschmidt
Tom Kleinschmidt is a retired American basketball player and current head basketball coach at York High School in Elmhurst, Illinois...
, Najeeb Echols, Evan Eschmeyer
Evan Eschmeyer
Evan Bruce Eschmeyer is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the New Jersey Nets in the 2nd round of the 1999 NBA Draft. A 6'11" center from Northwestern University, Eschmeyer played in four NBA seasons from 1999–2003...
, T.J. Lux and Jerry Gee were also recruited to play for the Chicago Rockstars.
Career transactions
- Signed by the Toronto RaptorsToronto RaptorsThe Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
on October 6, 1995 (released 12 days later). - Signed by the Boston Celtics (who needed front court help) on November 24, 1995. He was placed on the injured list and then on the suspended list until he could get into adequate playing shape http://aol.nba.com/playerfile/thomas_hamilton/bio.html. He played all 11 of his games near the end of the season.
- Signed by the Chicago BullsChicago BullsThe Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
on October 23, 1996 (released two months later). - Signed again by Chicago on October 6, 1997 (released two weeks later).
- Signed by the Miami HeatMiami HeatThe Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
on January 26, 1999 (released without appearing in a game). - Signed by the Houston Rockets (who had an injured Hakeem OlajuwonHakeem OlajuwonHakeem Abdul Olajuwon is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played the center position in the National Basketball Association for the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. In 2008,...
) on September 2, 1999 and started the 1999-2000 NBA season1999-2000 NBA season-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers*Co-Rookies of the Year: Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls; Steve Francis, Houston Rockets*Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat...
on the Rockets 12-man active roster. He played in 22 games. - He was signed by Chicago on two separate occasions, but he still made the team. As a result, Hamilton got to play for his hometown team.