I think its number 32, its the guy with the plastic face mask. did he have surgery recently or is he just vain and not wanting to get hit in the face.
The guy’s name is Richard Hamilton, and he’s had his nose broken twice this year, so he’s wearing the mask as a precaution against getting plugged again.
Richard (Rip) Hamilton had his nose broken twice during this season (ouch!). It was first broken in the preseason, but it was a minor break and he returned to play in time for the regular season. Then in February, it was broken again, bad enough that he had to have surgery on it. He started wearing the mask after he came back from that (only sitting out three games!).
http://games.espn.go.com/cgi/fba/playernewsarchive?statsId=294
http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nuggets/article/0,1299,DRMN_20_2927388,00.html
“Hamilton . . . wears a plastic face mask to protect his nose that was broken twice this season . . . .”
Is this the same player who wore a similar mask a few years back? who kept it on in later games as a ‘good luck charm’ of sorts?
A fair number of players have worn goggles and facemasks as facial injuries are not uncommon in basketball.
He wears the mask so that no one will realize he’s actually Bill Laimbeer.
Nope, that would be Lucious Harris of the New Jersey Nets.