Glen Rice

From Hoopedia

Glen Anthony Rice (born May 28, 1967 in Flint, Michigan) is a former NBA basketball player. Rice was a three time NBA All-Star small forward well known for his pinpoint shooting accuracy, ranking 4th in NBA history with 1,559 three-point field goals made during his 15 year career. Rice has been a player on both a team that won an NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship and a team that won an NBA Championship. As an individual, he has won both the National Basketball Association All-Star Game MVP and the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

1 College
2 NBA
3 NBA Transactions
4 Awards
5 Statistical Highlights
6 Team Honors
7 External Link

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College

Rice played college basketball for the University of Michigan Wolverines for four seasons (1985-1989), starting for three. He became the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,442 points. He led Michigan to the 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, scoring an NCAA-record 184 points in tournament play, a record that still stands. Rice was also voted the tournament's Most Outstanding Player and was part of the Associated Press All-America second-team. After Rice's junior year, he was offered to join the 1988 Olympic basketball team, but was cut before reaching the group of 48. On Feb. 20, 2005, Rice's No. 41 jersey was retired during a ceremony at Michigan's Crisler Arena.

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NBA

Rice started his senior season as a projected mid-first round selection. After his performance in the NCAA Tournament his stock rose to the point where he was selected #4 overall in the 1989 NBA Draft by the 2nd-year Miami Heat, who were in dire need of offensive help after finishing last in the NBA in points per game in 1988-89.

In Miami, after averaging only 13.6 points per game his rookie season, Rice averaged 20 ppg for his remaining five seasons in Miami, which included two trips to the playoffs, but without winning a series during Rice's tenure.

Days before the start of the 1995-96 NBA season, Rice was traded to the Charlotte Hornets (along with Matt Geiger) in exchange for disgruntled Hornets center Alonzo Mourning. A spokesperson for the Hornets repeatedly remarked in a press-conference that Glen Rice was "twice as nice as McDice". It was a trade that worked out for both teams, as Mourning quickly established himself as an All-Star in Miami, and Rice would make the first of three consecutive All-Star Game appearances, including in 1996-97, where he would be named the All-Star Game MVP.

In 1999, Rice was again traded (along with J.R. Reid), to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell. Rice was considered the last piece of the puzzle necessary for the Lakers to return to the NBA Finals. Though the Lakers would lose to the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs that season, with Rice a virtual non-factor in the series, Rice was a key member of the Laker squad who a year later would win the 2000 NBA Championship over the Indiana Pacers.

Rice played 15 seasons in the NBA from 1989 to 2004. He was a three-time All-Star who finished with career averages of 18.3 points and 4.4 rebounds in 1,000 regular-season games with the Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets, the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers. He finished with 18,336 career points.

Rice also played in 55 career playoff games, averaging 16.1 points and 4.5 rebounds. He averaged 16.3 points in three All-Star games.

Early in his career, Rice was the primary scorer for the Heat and the Hornets. When he was traded to the Lakers, he became a third scorer behind Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. In the championship he won with the Lakers in 2000, he led the team alongside Bryant and O'Neal.

After winning a championship with the Lakers, Rice was traded to the New York Knicks where he would take on a sixth-man role on the team and provide the Knicks with much-needed support off the bench.

His personal outstanding achievement in the NBA came when he was named MVP of the 1997 All-Star game, which commerated the 50th anniversary of NBA. In the game, he set All-Star game records of 20 points in the third quarter and 24 points in the second half. He also won the NBA All-Star Long Distance Shootout at the 1995 All-Star game in Phoenix.

Rice scored a career-high 56 points on April 15, 1995 while playing for the Heat in a nationally-televised game against Shaquille O'Neal and the Orlando Magic. Rice hit 20-of-27 shots from the floor, including 7-of-8 from the 3-point line. The 56 points were an NBA season-high for the 1994-95 season.

Rice remains the Hornets' all-time leader in scoring average with 23.5 points per game. Not to mention that he is the deadliest three point shooter in NBA Hangtime. Glen Rice teams up with Vlade Divac to make the best team in the game.

Despite only playing 79 of 82 games, he led the NBA in minute played in 1997 (3362). That same season he lead the league in three-point field goal accuracy (47.0%).

In the closing years of his career, Rice struggled with his weight (leading to knee problems) and became slow to keep up with the emerging younger talent in the NBA.

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NBA Transactions

Selected by Miami Heat in 1st round (4th overall) of 1989 NBA Draft.
Traded by Miami with Matt Geiger, Khalid Reeves and 1996 1st-round pick to Charlotte Hornets for LeRon Ellis, Alonzo Mourning and Pete Myers on November 3, 1995.
Traded by Charlotte with B.J. Armstrong and J.R. Reid to Los Angeles Lakers for Elden Campbell and Eddie Jones on March 10, 1999.
Traded by Lakers with Travis Knight and conditional 2001 1st-round pick to New York Knicks as part of four-team deal on September 20, 2000 (Lakers received Emanual Davis, Greg Foster, Horace Grant and Chuck Person from Seattle SuperSonics; New York also received Luc Longley and two 2nd-round picks from Phoenix Suns and Lazaro Borrell, Vernon Maxwell, Vladimir Stepania and conditional 2001 1st-round pick from Seattle; Phoenix received Chris Dudley, conditional 2001 1st-round pick and cash from New York; Seattle received Patrick Ewing from New York).
Traded by New York to Houston Rockets as part of three-team deal on August 17, 2001 (Dallas Mavericks received Muggsy Bogues from New York; Houston also received draft rights to Kyle Hill and future considerations from Dallas; New York received Shandon Anderson from Houston and Howard Eisley from Dallas).
Traded by Houston with draft considerations and cash to Utah Jazz for John Amaechi and future 2nd-round pick on September 30, 2003.
Waived by Utah on October 3, 2003.
Signed as free agent by Los Angeles Clippers on October 10, 2003.
Waived by Clippers on January 13, 2004.

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Awards

NBA All-Star MVP Award: 1997
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Tournament Outstanding Player: 1989
3 time All-Star
2 times All-NBA — 1997 second team, 1998 third team
All Rookie NBA — 1990
Retired Jerseys: #41 University of Michigan

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