Coatesville native Richard “Rip” Hamilton will retire his jersey at Gampel Pavilion at the University of Connecticut this month, writes Anders Pryor for The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Hamilton, 45, who helped UConn secure a national title in 1999, will hang his No. 32 jersey from the rafters after the upcoming Villanova game on Feb. 24.  

One of the most decorated players in the program’s history, Hamilton was the second all-time scorer at UConn and secured a NCAA Championship win against Duke in his last game with the Huskies.  

In 2002, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons by Washington, where he landed the No. 7 draft pick. From there, he continued his career with the Pistons until 2011, before finishing his NBA career with the Chicago Bulls in 2013. 

The Detroit Pistons, where Hamilton played for nine seasons, retired his jersey in February 2017. In 2021, Hamilton was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. 

He attended Coatesville Area Senior High School, a rival of Lower Merion. That being so, Hamilton was a part of a Raiders team that competed against the late Kobe Bryant three times. Two of those games were in the district playoffs, and one was inside the gym at Coatesville. 

Read more about Richard Hamilton’s NBA career and jersey retirement at The Philadelphia Inquirer.  

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