#32 is up next

[Lionlifer]

Per the freep, Rip is going to the rafters:

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2016/02/10/detroit-pistons-richard-hamilton-jersey-retirment/80215920/

Personally I hate the move, still salty about how he left, what do you all think?

[Laimbeer]

Wouldn't bother me any if it didn't go up. He was only a good soldier while the culture was strong and the team was good. When times got tough he was a cancer and a wimp.

[haulerch]

I fully expect them to retire both Rip and Rasheed next season... I'm fine with it. Billups and Ben were the two I really wanted to see.

[Kilo]

I bet Sheed refuses to go up unless Tay goes up before him.

[Blkbrd671]

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

[MotownMadness]

Why not, he was still a big time player for us and your already retiring his teammates.

[Snakebites]

He's got a case over Rasheed in terms of number retired first if you overlook the negatives of the later part of his tenure but you know what? I personally am still not ready to do that. If it had merely been a decline in play with a bad contract I'd be happy to. Heck, if he'd even stopped playing hard and that had been all it was, i'd probably be ready.

Its not just that he stopped trying, not just that he laughed his way to the bank on us. He lead other players in defiance of coaches, bad mouthed the team, tweeted "god is good" after the buyout went through, and congratulated Ben Gordon publicly when he was traded from us to the BOBCATS who were fresh off the worst season in NBA history.

Sorry, I just don't want his number retired, and certainly not before Rasheed or Tayshaun. I still don't like the guy.

[DBC10]

Tom Gores is on a stupid path to cash in on the retirement ceremonies. The guy just loves to party and hold these lavish things, no?

It's pretty apparent in his drunken dialogue when we retired #1 and #3. I'd rather have Sheed over Rip even though with the contributions they both gave were pretty neck and neck if we're talking championship wise.

[MrBigShot]

On impact/career with our franchise, Ben/Chauncey were no-brainers. Rip was good, but he wasn't an HoF caliber SG like Dumars was.

With that said, I honestly wouldn't mind if Rip/Sheed/Tay got their jersey's retired as well. Vinne Johnson was no all star but he played a big role in our 88-90 teams. And it just kind of fits...when you think of 04 pistons you think of the well rounded starting 5. Chauncey the leader, Big Ben the heart and defensive anchor, Sheed the passion and missing piece to the puzzle, Tay the glue guy with a knack for making clutch defensive plays, and Rip the tireless runner with an amazing mid range game.

I'm willing to look past his ugly exit and remember all of the good times he gave us. Like the shot against the Celtics with 0.7 on the clock. It was the first game winning buzzer beater I had ever seen live at the time, and I'll never forget it.

[Shady_]

both rip and sheed need to go up there

ben and billups were the face of the team no doubt, but the 04 pistons won as a team.

also people need to forgive, forget, and move on with the way rip left and let it go.

people forgot how such a mess that team was at that time.

[detroitKG]

I'm sorry but Ben and Chauncey are the only two that deserve to go up...these jersey retirements are getting silly at this point...used to be a special/sacred thing...not so much anymore.

[Todd3]

Nice. Rasheed & Tayshaun should be next. None were more important than the others. It would be disingenuous to have some but not all.They should have done all 5 at once though because it's getting monotonous

[Pharaoh]

Will Corliss get his # retired too?

[The Penguin]

He's got a case over Rasheed in terms of number retired first if you overlook the negatives of the later part of his tenure but you know what? I personally am still not ready to do that. If it had merely been a decline in play with a bad contract I'd be happy to. Heck, if he'd even stopped playing hard and that had been all it was, i'd probably be ready.

Its not just that he stopped trying, not just that he laughed his way to the bank on us. He lead other players in defiance of coaches, bad mouthed the team, tweeted "god is good" after the buyout went through, and congratulated Ben Gordon publicly when he was traded from us to the BOBCATS who were fresh off the worst season in NBA history.

Sorry, I just don't want his number retired, and certainly not before Rasheed or Tayshaun. I still don't like the guy.

I'm right there with you. I think he should have publicly mended some fences before he went up, I know it's a completely different regime in place, but I think he owes the fans a public apology. Maybe it'll come at his ceremony, but at this point he doesn't belong with Ben and Chauncey.

[Pugz]

i think the team is going down a path that it shouldnt be. ben and billups deserved it. ben is a HOF player billups will probably make it off of his finals mvp. rip, tay, and sheed dont really deserve it. rip holds a lot of team records but if you make the case he deserves it because we couldnt win without him, the same goes for that whole 04 team. might as well retire 04.

but i guess it doesnt bother me either way.

[Bakuto]

I'm clearly in the minority, but I'm more for the notion that a player's jersey number should go up in the rafters primarily for what he did as a player, and not as a person. I spent Rip's whole sulking tenure, especially his last year here, wondering how Ben Gordon was getting so many minutes while the better player was glued to the bench. I'm not sure I blame him for his emotion, I do wish he handled it better though. But the behavior doesn't detract from what he did as a player.

Happy for you Rip.

[Laimbeer]

I'm sorry but Ben and Chauncey are the only two that deserve to go up...these jersey retirements are getting silly at this point...used to be a special/sacred thing...not so much anymore.

I understand where you're coming from. Going farther back, Vinnie Johnson was just silly.

[Montanabadboy]

I don't like this. I still maintain that Chauncey made him, and Ben and Billups are the only two who belong up there. Don't get me wrong, I love the whole team, but Rip definitely left a bad taste in my mouth with how he ended his tenure with us.

[Darko Miliminutes]

i Get about a 50-50 response on FB pages about this. I hate it!

I love these guys. It was a ton of fun watching and rooting for them. They did accomplish a lot!

However, i am of the opinion that jersey retirement should be reserved for the legends, the all time league greats. Not for guys that played great for us, for a few years.

Retired jerseys are being cheapened.

[joedumars1]

Don't mind it. He might be a HOFer too, look at the College achievements. I only thought Ben was for sure Billups maybe, but forgot they take college into account too