Rip Hamilton spent 9 years ballin' out in Detroit -- so what's his advice for the newest Pistons star Blake Griffin?
Bundle up.
The ex-NBA star was kinda laughing at the fact that Griffin went from sunny California to the frozen tundra of Detroit ... and said Blake's got no choice but to make it work 'cause he signed up for 5 seasons!
"Make sure he get a heavy coat out there 'cause trust me, it gets cold!"
We also asked Rip if he thinks Blake and Kendall Jenner will have a shot at making a long-distance relationship work now that he's a 4.5-hour flight away!