MIAMI, October 5 The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed free agent forward Tang Hamilton. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Hamilton, a 68, 220-pound forward, joins the HEAT for the second time in his career, after playing nine games for the club during the 2001-02 season. In those games, he averaged 2.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per game. He also shot .526 from the field. Following his stint with the HEAT, he signed with the Columbus Riverdragons of the NBDL in February 2002. He spent two seasons with the Riverdragons, averaging 14.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 30.6 minutes per game.
Hamilton signed with the Detroit Pistons in September 2003 and played two preseason games with the club. In those games, he averaged 1.5 points and 1.0 rebounds in 5.0 minutes per game. After being released by the Pistons, Hamilton signed with Azovmash Mariupol of the Ukrainian Super League, where he averaged 14.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 27.7 minutes per game in nine games.
Hamilton originally was signed by the HEAT as an undrafted free agent after averaging 10.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 24.2 minutes while shooting 47.5 percent (489-1,029) from the floor during a four-year career at Mississippi State University. His 123 games played at MSU tied the school-record. A three-year starter for the Bulldogs, Hamilton was one of only three players in school history to score at least 1,300 points and grab at least 600 rebounds. He finished his career ranked 10th on MSUs all-time scoring list with 1,307 points and 11th on its all-time rebounding list with 677 rebounds. Hamilton also ranks among MSUs all-time leaders in dunks (3rd, 106), three-point field goals made (5th, 132) and three-point field goals attempted (5th, 408).