Pistons' Richard Hamilton on dispute with coach, buyout offer, player absences from shootaround

Hamilton said following practice Monday that his dispute with coach John Kuester has been overblown, that the buyout offer he received from the Cleveland Cavaliers at the trade deadline was misreported and that there was no "player protest" Friday, when just six Pistons showed up for a morning shootaround in Philadelphia.

The dispute took place shortly before Kuester deactivated Hamilton, according to the story.
Hamilton did not dispute that he confronted Kuester, but he downplayed the intensity of the disagreement and questioned the report about the timing of the dispute.

"It was just a disagreement," Hamilton said. "I'm the team captain, he's the coach, and it was a disagreement. It's just one of those things. It's not something you don't see.

"It wasn't like how it was reported – argument, Rip Hamilton not playing no more. It was nowhere near like that. It was a disagreement. We talked about it. I continued to play after that. It was just one of those crazy things that came out of nowhere.

"Crazy part is it was (reported) right after the trade deadline passed."

Why didn't you take the buyout?

Hamilton: "Don't always believe what you read. There was a situation there, but it wasn't as documented."

Question: Can you explain what the situation was?

Hamilton: "It was a situation they came to me with. I never said what the situation was. I just looked at it, was it the best for me and my family? But it wasn't as you read it."

Question: Why not take the opportunity to leave this situation to play for a team that could contend?

Hamilton: "It wasn't like it was put out."

Question: What was wrong with how it was reported? Was the money reported incorrectly? Or were you not even offered a buyout?

Hamilton: "It was an offer, but it wasn't like it was reported."