Drive Kobe crazy and beat Manu, how powerful is "Mask Man" Hamilton?

He is a player known for his off-ball running and mid-range jump shots, but defense is his job in his heart. He once pulled down the arrogant "OK" combination, but he was ruthlessly rejected by Jordan. He is not a superstar, but his legend has always been circulated among the fans. He is a "grassroots" defender who is not as famous as his strength, and is a low-key and high-profile "grassroots" defender on the court, Richard Hamilton.

On February 14, 1978, Hamilton was born in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, USA. Hamilton's father was a long-distance runner and his mother was a sprinter. The two were separated after Hamilton was born, and Hamilton lived with her mother.

Hamilton showed excellent running talent when he was a child, but he did not follow his mother. Hamilton could run a mile effortlessly, but he was slightly lacking in explosive power. Under the guidance of his father, Hamilton gradually fell in love with basketball and gradually showed a certain basketball talent. Since Hamilton's seventh grade, Hamilton's father began to record videos of his son's every game and became his son's number one fan. Hamilton's grandfather is also his loyal fan. He has watched all the more than 300 videos recorded by Hamilton's father without exception.

In 1992, 15-year-old Hamilton came to Coatesville High School to study. In high school, Hamilton's playing style was completely different from that in the NBA. At that time, Hamilton's idol was "penny" Hardaway, so he also liked gorgeous and violent dunks with backwards. Of course, Hamilton did not forget his father's teachings. In addition to practicing, he still insisted on running practice. Therefore, although Hamilton was a basketball player, he never lost in school long-distance running competitions.

In the second half of the semester of the first year of high school, a coach named Ritch Hicks noticed Hamilton. He thought the 14-year-old was very unique, so he took the initiative to find Hamilton and asked, "Would you like to train with me? I can make you run faster." Hamilton has long heard of this coach, so Hamilton is naturally very willing to give his invitation.

In future training, Hicks not only helped Hamilton continue to polish his ball skills, but also taught Hamilton a new way of breathing, which gave Hamilton more endurance when running and laid a solid foundation for Hamilton's future basketball journey.

In the first summer of high school, Hamilton was invited to participate in a training camp held in Philadelphia, and then met Kobe Bryant. In a three-on-three game, Hamilton and Kobe were divided into two teams. The two played similarly and no one could defend against each other. After the game, Kobe's father was very surprised by Hamilton's performance and said: "This is the first time I have seen a child of the same age who can compete with my son."

After that, Hamilton's father often took Hamilton to various training camps and games. Among his peers, Hamilton and Kobe became the top high school player in the country, and Hamilton's father declared to the outside world: "My son will enter the NBA sooner or later and will become an All-Star player."

Later, in various games, Hamilton often met Kobe and trained together. The two gradually became friends and opponents, but the difference was that Kobe participated in the NBA draft after graduating from high school, while Hamilton chose to continue his studies in college.

After coming to the talented University of Connecticut, Hamilton discovered that his physical fitness could not continue his high school playing style, but he was not discouraged. Instead, he started from small things. Defense, running without any desire and receiving and shooting became the most things he did on the court. Gradually, head coach Calhoun also discovered this unique child and began to help Hamilton develop special tactics to play to his advantages. In the 1997-18 season, Hamilton, who was in the second grade, led the team to the NCAA game as the second seed. In the two games of "March Crazy", Hamilton helped the team advance with a score of 26.5 points per game. Although Kangda lost the game 64-75 in the final, Hamilton won the title of Best Player in the Big East with a data of 21.5 points per game.

After the senior season of high school, Hamilton began to consider participating in the NBA draft, but the head coach hoped that Hamilton would play in the college league for another year, and Hamilton followed the coach's advice.

However, when preparing for the Men's Basketball World Championships, Hamilton accidentally sprained his right foot. During the recovery period, Hamilton's grandfather passed away due to illness. Under the double blow of illness and spirit, Hamilton gradually lost confidence in basketball. Fortunately, after guidance from his father and coach, Hamilton cheered up again. In order to commemorate his grandfather who loved him the most, Hamilton tattooed his grandfather's name and birth and death on his right shoulder, and used it to motivate himself.

In the last year of college, Hamilton led the team to fulfill his coaching wish and won the national championship. Hamilton also won the title of MOP in the semi-finals, and his NBA career began..

As a main defender of the championship, Hamilton's fame and strength are completely inconsistent. Fans who don't look at his playing may not know how strong Hamilton is, but Kobe once commented on Hamilton this way: "If it is the most difficult player to defend, then I choose McGrady, but if I want to choose the player who least wants to defend, then I will definitely choose Hamilton." Hamilton spent basically running 90% of his entire career, which made the players who defended him feel exhausted, but it was this physical fitness and style that made him become an All-Star and a champion with his thin body.