Races - Places?
The reason why I run is that it makes everything easy for me, especially on the basketball court. I believe if I can condition myself without a basketball, then when I actually get out there on the court it is actually fun.

Did you ever think of doing any serious running?
I'm the type of runner that runs to exhaustion. If it's my normal workout day with basketball drills, what I'll do is wake up in the morning and I'll run a mile. When I run that mile I will actually sprint it. I don't go out there and just walk a little bit of it or jog a little bit of it. I get out there and it's an all-out sprint. I'm the type of person who believes the faster I get my heart rate up, the more I get out of a run. On the days I don't have a basketball workout, I might run two or three miles as a sprint.

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Do I enjoy running? Yeah, I enjoy it. If you came to my house and said, "Ok, let's go out and run," I would enjoy it. But it's also part of my job. I got to do it. If I don't do it, then I'm slacking on the job

How did you get into running in the first place?
My basketball coach in Coatsville, Pa., who coached me in 8th and 9th grades, made us run a lot. He used to take us out every morning and have us run hills in our neighborhood. Once I started doing that, it made me better on the basketball court, because I was never tired.

The Best Running Music to Add to Your Playlist?
Well, I signed up for track, but the coach always told me, "Rip [Hamilton's nickname], you don't even have to come to the practices. Just show up for the meet." So what I would do is play basketball, then go to the meet, run the mile and then go home. And I never lost...until this one meet. I was racing the mile. I assumed it was my last lap because my whole team and coach kept saying, "Rip sprint." So I smoked this kid from another school. But when I got to the end, the referee said, "Son, you got one more lap to go." The only thing I remember was this kid just floating by me and I had no more gas in the engine. It was the first time I lost in my life. I was so mad at my team and my coach. My coach said, "Rip, I'm not going to say anything to you for the rest of the season. I'm just going to let you run and let you be you."

Inside Faith Kipyegon’s 4-Minute Mile Attempt?
Not really. I just always looked at running as a way to take care of my body. By running, it would make the game of basketball a lot easier for me because I am always in shape.

Are you unusual among nba players because of all the running you do?
Am I unusual? I think so. With any sport sometimes it's hard to get out and run by yourself. You know, everybody dreads that. A lot of times people want to be out there with a basketball or a football or whatever it is, but to actually go out and run, I think that is tough. So a lot of times when I go out and run I actually take my dogs--I got two pit bulls--and my dogs have a lot of energy. They just like to run around the house. So what I will do is take them outside on a leash and I will just run. And they'll take off too--you know a dog can run all day. And I'll keep running and running and running until they stop, and then I know I've done enough running.

Shoes & Gear?
No, I just run with my dogs.

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The Best Running Movies of All Time.

DAA Industry Opt Out?
I think it helped a lot by the simple fact that I was able to still play at a high level so late in the season. A lot of guys get fatigued and get tired and kind of hit a wall. With all the running I did, it kept me playing at that high level. Instead of getting slower, I got faster.

Nutrition - Weight Loss?
Probably. When I'm done playing basketball.

How I Keep Exercising at 105 Years Old?
Lots of times I can't find anybody to run with; it's tough for others to keep up with me. I'll stay will them early but when I feel I'm not getting anything out of it, I'll go ahead and tell them to meet me at the supermarket.

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Every day. Five days a week. I take the weekends off. I'll run at least a mile a day. If I work out on the basketball court I won't go that long. But if I don't work on the basketball court, I'll go 3 or so miles.

Who do you run with?
Yes. One time I was running and these people cut right in front of me with their car. They got out and said, "Oh, my! There's Rip." I had my dogs with me and they were barking, and I said, "Folks, hold on. These dogs are no laughy-daffy lick-you dogs." These people were like, "It's okay." So I signed my autograph, even though they messed up my run.

Are any of your teammates big runners like you?
Nobody wants to run. Everybody on the Pistons always tell me, "Man, you run too much. Slow down. Stop."