#32 is up next

[thesack12]

Ehh, People are quick to forget about the flip side of the coin. The organization didn't exactly treat Rip all that great the last couple years he was in Detroit.

1) Rip agreed to an early extension under the pretense that the core of the team (namely the backcourt) was going to stay in place. Like 2 days after signing the extension Billups was traded away. This was a double slap to the face of Rip, because the backcourt was obviously broken up, and Rip signed on a quite a bit less $ than he would have received if he hit free agency.

2) The Iverson debacle. Not only was Chauncey traded away, but the team brought in Allen Iverson. Iverson would have sufficed at either the 1 or the 2, but the team insisted Stuckey occupy one of the two starting guard slots. Instead of relegating the new guy, who was miles past his prime to the secondary bench role, they put Rip on the bench even though at the time we was clearly the team's best guard.

3) After faking a phantom back injury and outright quitting on the team, Iverson's contract expires and he definitely was not going to be brought back. So that means Rip would re-take his rightful place as the team's primary SG, right? Wrong, Dumars goes out and signs Ben Gordon to a huge free agent contract. BG instantly becomes a huge threat to Rip's minutes, and Rip eventually gets benched AGAIN.

Now I'm not going to sit here and claim Rip was a true professional, far from it he could have went about things a whole lot differently. I get why people still hold a grudge against him. But for me personally, I think Rip's sulking and attitude were simply caused because he just wanted to freaking play ball man. Dude is a human being afterall, anybody would feel slighted when the company they work for brings in outsiders who holds the same position as they do and threatens them. And its not like Rip wasn't performing before that whole process got started.

Rip didn't do anything to change my opinion of him. Its not like he choked teammates on the court (cough Markieff Morris cough) or committed crimes which kept him off the floor. Rip was straight up rock solid on the court, you could always count on him to deliver. For as celebrated as Chauncey was for being clutch (well deserved) Rip wasn't too far behind in the clutch category.

People refuse to remember how Ben Wallace left this franchise. Dude chose to leave by chasing the money to go to a division rival, no less. He did this while the team was still very much in championship contention. All of Sheed, Rip, Chauncey took less $ to stay in Detroit, but not Ben. After leaving Detroit he was largely pretty bad also. IMO how Ben left was a helluva lot worse than how Rip left, but thats just me.

Also, if your career leading playoff scorer's # is not hanging in the rafters, you should probably re-evaluate what the criteria for attaining such an honor is. I mean we aren't talking about the expansion Bobcats with little postseason history, we're talking about a team with a very extensive, quite celebrated playoff story. Also, in the "flip the switch" era of Pistons basketball, Rip was the ONLY one of the core guys who was not only consistent in the playoffs, but actually amped his game up.

One more thing about how Rip left. I for one am still VERY grateful Rip nixed that godawful "trade" to Cleveland. Had he not done so, Andre Drummond is probably not a Piston right now.

To conclude, yes Rip deserves his # retired and yes I'm happy to see it happen

[gusman]

Ehh, People are quick to forget about the flip side of the coin. The organization didn't exactly treat Rip all that great the last couple years he was in Detroit.

1) Rip agreed to an early extension under the pretense that the core of the team (namely the backcourt) was going to stay in place. Like 2 days after signing the extension Billups was traded away. This was a double slap to the face of Rip, because the backcourt was obviously broken up, and Rip signed on a quite a bit less $ than he would have received if he hit free agency.

2) The Iverson debacle. Not only was Chauncey traded away, but the team brought in Allen Iverson. Iverson would have sufficed at either the 1 or the 2, but the team insisted Stuckey occupy one of the two starting guard slots. Instead of relegating the new guy, who was miles past his prime to the secondary bench role, they put Rip on the bench even though at the time we was clearly the team's best guard.

3) After faking a phantom back injury and outright quitting on the team, Iverson's contract expires and he definitely was not going to be brought back. So that means Rip would re-take his rightful place as the team's primary SG, right? Wrong, Dumars goes out and signs Ben Gordon to a huge free agent contract. BG instantly becomes a huge threat to Rip's minutes, and Rip eventually gets benched AGAIN.

Now I'm not going to sit here and claim Rip was a true professional, far from it he could have went about things a whole lot differently. I get why people still hold a grudge against him. But for me personally, I think Rip's sulking and attitude were simply caused because he just wanted to freaking play ball man. Dude is a human being afterall, anybody would feel slighted when the company they work for brings in outsiders who holds the same position as they do and threatens them. And its not like Rip wasn't performing before that whole process got started.

Rip didn't do anything to change my opinion of him. Its not like he choked teammates on the court (cough Markieff Morris cough) or committed crimes which kept him off the floor. Rip was straight up rock solid on the court, you could always count on him to deliver. For as celebrated as Chauncey was for being clutch (well deserved) Rip wasn't too far behind in the clutch category.

People refuse to remember how Ben Wallace left this franchise. Dude chose to leave by chasing the money to go to a division rival, no less. He did this while the team was still very much in championship contention. All of Sheed, Rip, Chauncey took less $ to stay in Detroit, but not Ben. After leaving Detroit he was largely pretty bad also. IMO how Ben left was a helluva lot worse than how Rip left, but thats just me.

Also, if your career leading playoff scorer's # is not hanging in the rafters, you should probably re-evaluate what the criteria for attaining such an honor is. I mean we aren't talking about the expansion Bobcats with little postseason history, we're talking about a team with a very extensive, quite celebrated playoff story. Also, in the "flip the switch" era of Pistons basketball, Rip was the ONLY one of the core guys who was not only consistent in the playoffs, but actually amped his game up.

One more thing about how Rip left. I for one am still VERY grateful Rip nixed that godawful "trade" to Cleveland. Had he not done so, Andre Drummond is probably not a Piston right now.

To conclude, yes Rip deserves his # retired and yes I'm happy to see it happen

Good post

[vege]

I hate it.

[Arp590]

Well **** just retire the starting 5 at this point.

[RSCD3_]

i think this is going to be real emotional ceremony. Rip left on the worst terms and this symbolically will represent "moving on" from that . I know Ben Wall is going to be pumped, and Gore already planning his (Please Use More Appropriate Word) speech

I'm sure his speech will be "me-oo-ving"

[tmorgan]

Ben -- obvious. heart and soul.
Chauncey -- fine with it. leader.

Rasheed -- no thanks. Only there for the mountaintop and decline.
Rip -- no thanks. went out like a bitch.
Tay -- 5th wheel. not even close.