Justin Hamilton (basketball, born 1990)

Justin Hamilton
Justin Hamilton
Born	April 1, 1990 (age 36)
Occupation(s)	Basketball player, coach
Years active	2008–2024 (player), 2024–present (coach)
Known for	Professional basketball player; video coordinator and player development coach for Golden State Warriors

Justin Anthony Hamilton (born April 1, 1990) is a Croatian-American former professional basketball player who has transitioned into coaching. He currently holds the roles of video coordinator and player development coach with the Golden State Warriors in the National Basketball Association (NBA). His collegiate basketball tenure included playing for both the Iowa State Cyclones and the LSU Tigers.

College career

Hamilton competed at the collegiate level for the Iowa State Cyclones between 2008 and 2010 under coach Greg McDermott. Following a mandatory redshirt year in 2010–11 due to NCAA transfer regulations, he resumed play during the 2011–12 season representing Louisiana State University under head coach Trent Johnson.

Professional career

Selected as the 45th pick in the 2012 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, Hamilton’s draft rights were promptly traded to the Miami Heat in exchange for Arnett Moultrie.

In August 2012, Hamilton signed with Croatian club KK Cibona and expressed his intention to represent the Croatia men's national basketball team. He transferred to VEF Rīga in January 2013 following a mutual agreement with Cibona but departed from VEF Rīga by May of that year.

Hamilton inked a contract with the Miami Heat on September 10, 2013, but was waived on October 26. Shortly thereafter, on October 31, he joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce, earning a selection to participate in the Futures All-Star roster for the 2014 NBA D-League All-Star Game held in February.

On March 4, 2014, Hamilton secured a 10-day contract with the Charlotte Bobcats, appearing in one game before returning to the Miami Heat on March 14 for the rest of the season. During this period, he had brief stints back with Sioux Falls Skyforce. The Heat advanced to the 2014 NBA Finals but were defeated by the San Antonio Spurs. Hamilton did not take part in any playoff games.

On February 19, 2015, Hamilton was involved in a three-team trade sending him to the New Orleans Pelicans, with involvement from the Phoenix Suns. The Pelicans waived him on March 3 without any game appearances; two days later, he was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Hamilton signed a one-year contract on July 27, 2015, with Spain’s Valencia, competing in both the Liga ACB and the Eurocup. Valencia reached the semi-finals of their league, and Hamilton was recognized by being named to the All-Liga ACB First Team as an outstanding power forward.

On July 11, 2016, Hamilton agreed to a multi-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets. He made his debut on October 26, achieving career-best figures of 19 points and 10 rebounds coming off the bench. On December 20, he surpassed his previous rebounding mark by securing 11 boards.

Hamilton was traded to the Toronto Raptors on July 13, 2017, as part of an exchange involving DeMarre Carroll and future draft selections; however, he was waived by Toronto just one day later.

Expanding his international career, Hamilton signed with China’s Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association on July 22, 2017.

Continuing his professional journey in Europe, he joined Baxi Manresa of Spain’s Liga ACB on August 14, 2022.

Coaching career

Hamilton concluded his playing career and transitioned into coaching on August 31, 2024, when he accepted a position as video coordinator and player development coach with the Golden State Warriors.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Charlotte | 1 || 0 || 4.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Miami | 7 || 0 || 9.7 || .450 || .333 || 1.000 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 0.6 || 0.0 || 3.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Miami | 24 || 5 || 12.0 || .415 || .316 || .857 || 2.0 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 0.2 || 2.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Minnesota | 17 || 9 || 24.9 || .513 || .333 || .825 || 5.1 || 1.4 || 1.1 || 1.5 || 9.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Brooklyn | 64 || 7 || 18.4 || .459 || .306 || .750 || 4.1 || 0.9 || 0.5 || 0.7 || 6.9 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 113 || 21 || 13.8 || .367 || .258 || .686 || 2.4 || 0.6 || 0.5 || 0.5 || 4.5

Personal life

Hamilton possesses Croatian heritage through his mother’s lineage, with familial ties to Zagreb, Croatia, where he spent one year attending elementary school.

External links