Thomas Hamilton

Thomas Thaddeus Hamilton (born April 3, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player.

High school career

Hamilton attended Chicago's Martin Luther King High School, 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, prior to the 1995–96 NBA season, Hamilton had never played basketball professionally nor in college.

Professional career

Boston Celtics (1995–1996) Hamilton went undrafted in the 1994 NBA draft, but started working out with the Toronto Raptors. He was signed by the Raptors on October 6, 1995, but was released on October 18.

Hamilton was signed by the Boston Celtics 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. On June 28, Hamilton was waived by the Celtics.

Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat (1996–1999) Hamilton was signed by the Chicago Bulls on October 23, 1996, but was released on December 18 without playing a game. before transferring to IMG Academy. He played college basketball for the Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team.

Career statistics

NBA Source

Regular season

NBDL Source

Regular season

Playoffs