The running man: no one in the NBA is in better shape than Pistons guard Richard Hamilton—just ask him. And few players have made more progress toward stardom this season—just ask anyone else

Sporting News, The, June 14, 2004 by Sean Deveney

Hamilton knows this and probably will, at some point this summer, take this to-do list to Hicks. If he is going to improve, he will make it happen on the cracked concrete court of Ash Park, or in his old high school gym, or on the well-worn hills that surround the well-worn hometown. "He has always got a place here," Hicks says. "People here go crazy when he plays. Coatesville is always going to love Rip Hamilton. And Rip Hamilton is always going to love Coatesville."

The Lakers' SECRET WEAPON

They were bleak days in Lakerdom. It was early February and, after an 18-3 start, the Lakers limped to a 12-15 record in their next 27 games. "It's like quicksand. We're always sinking," coach Phil Jackson said. "One level deeper or one stratum to go before we know what's the bottom out."

But, even then, Jackson knew that what the Lakers were going through probably would benefit the team in the long run. Starting power forward Karl Malone was out with a knee injury. Shooting guard Kobe Bryant was out with a finger injury. Center Shaquille O'Neal was struggling with a persistent calf injury.

In place of Malone and Bryant, Jackson was forced to give major minutes to Slava Medvedenko and Kareem Rush. That playing time boosted the confidence and experience level of the pair and was directly responsible for getting the Lakers into The Finals--they saved the Lakers in their Game 6 conference finals win over the Timberwolves, when Rush was 6-for-7 on 3-point shots and Medvedenko was 4-for-4 in seven minutes of play.

"I knew I could play," Rush says. "Having been out there before and having been able to prove it only helped."

The Pistons take pride in their depth, and with Corliss Williamson, Mike James, Lindsey Hunter, Mehmet Okur and Elden Campbell coming off the bench, the team has good reserves. But add weapons such as Rush and Medvedenko to a bench that includes Rick Fox and playoff hero Derek Fisher, and the underrated Lakers bench, over the course of a seven-game series, looks to be a better asset than the Pistons' bench. As if the Lakers needed another advantage.

"We have acquired a lot of notoriety with this team because we've got such star power, but throughout the season we've handled our business and done a great job," Rush says. "We don't get as many chances as other benches because we've got four guys who demand the ball so much. But we've stepped up, from Fish's shot to my Game 6. We're going to be vital to this series."

It just took a little quicksand to get them there.--S.D.

Bad Boys II aren't bad enough

Fifteen years ago, the Pistons won the first of two straight NBA championships by employing a roughhouse defense and an aggressive style, earning them the moniker, "Bad Boys." In fact, it was the Pistons' style that eventually prompted the league to come up with the disciplinary system for flagrant fouls that has cleaned up most of the roughness in the NBA. For a blue-collar town such as Detroit, the Bad Boys rep was one to be proud of, and both players and fans reveled in it.