Ronald Harper Sr. (born January 20, 1964) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player. He played for four teams in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA) between 1986 and 2001 and is a five-time NBA champion.

Early life

Ronald Harper Sr. was born on January 20, 1964, in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

. Harper was the youngest of six children raised in a single-parent household by their mother. She worked several jobs to support the family, including as a school teacher and on an assembly line at a

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

plant. In high school, he first attended Belmont High School in Dayton, but was cut from the freshman team and didn't play as a sophomore. He later transferred to Kiser High School in Dayton and as a senior averaged 20.5 points, 13.4 rebounds, five assists, five steals and six blocked shots and was named first-team All-Ohio. He graduated from Kiser in 1982. The Kiser High School facility is now an elementary school. In 2006, Harper attended a ceremony at which the school's gymnasium was named for him.

College career

Harper starred at

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public university, public research university in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the second-oldest List of colleges and universities in Ohio, university in Ohi ...

Oxford, Ohio Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,035 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A college town, Oxford was founded as a home for Miami University and lies in the southwestern portion ...

, for four seasons from 1982–83 through 1985–86. As a freshman, Harper scored 12.8 points per game and led Miami in rebounding with 7.0 per game as the team went 13–15. As a sophomore, he led the team in scoring with 16.3 points per game and in rebounding with 7.6 per game, as Miami went 24–6 and won the

Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Its members co ...

championship, the MAC tournament championship, and earned a berth in the NCAA tournament. In his junior season, he set personal bests and again led the team with 24.9 and 10.7 rebounds per game and also led in steals with 2.6 per game. He was named MAC Player of the Year as the team went 20–11, finished second in the MAC and earned a berth in the NCAA tournament. In his senior season, on March 8, 1985, he set both a Miami and a MAC tournament single-game scoring record of 45 points in one game (as well as snaring 18 rebounds). His scoring average of 24.9 per game is second all-time at Miami behind Fred Foster's 26.8 in 1967–68. He again led the team in rebounding with 11.7 per game as well as assists (4.3) and steals (3.3). He also became the first MAC player in history to record a triple-double with 38 points, 19 rebounds and 12 assists against

Ball State University Ball State University (Ball State or BSU) is a public research university in Muncie, Indiana, United States. The university has three off-campus centers in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and Fishers, Indiana. The university is composed of seven aca ...

. Again he was named MAC Player of the Year and also named second-team All-American by both the

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(AP) and

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(UPI). Miami went 24–7 to win the MAC title and earn a berth in the NCAA tournament. Harper is Miami's all-time leading scorer with 2,377 points, and also leads in rebounding with 1,119. He was the first men's player in MAC history to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in a career. He also holds Miami's all-time records for career scoring average (19.8), games started (118), minutes played (4,164), field goals (969), and blocked shots (173). He had a career field goal percentage of .534. At his final home game in 1986, he became the first basketball player in Miami history to have his number (34) retired.

Professional career

Cleveland Cavaliers (1986–1989)

Harper was selected in the first round (eighth overall) in the 1986 NBA draft by the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

. Harper made his NBA debut on November 1, 1986. He broke 30 points in just his sixth game, with 34 against the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

on November 11, 1986. He scored a season-high 40 points against the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

on February 4, 1987, and had one of his finest all-around games on February 10, 1987, against the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

with 25 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and five steals. Harper started all 82 games and averaged 22.9 points per game (ppg) and 4.8 rebounds per game (rpg) along with 4.8 assists and 2.5 steals. He placed second in Rookie of the Year balloting behind Chuck Person of the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

. In his second season, he was limited to 57 games due to a severely sprained ankle suffered in the second game of the season that kept him out until late December. For the season, he averaged 15.4 ppg. The Cavaliers made the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

, but were eliminated by the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

, three games to two. The following season, 1988–89, he again started all 82 games, averaging 18.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 5.3 assists and 2.3 steals as the Cavaliers advanced to the

, where they were eliminated in the first round, again by the

three games to two, this time with a one-point loss in game 5 on the Cavaliers’ home court — the now-defunct

Richfield Coliseum Richfield Coliseum, also known as the Coliseum at Richfield, was an indoor arena located in Richfield Township, between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. It opened in 1974 as a replacement for the Cleveland Arena, and had a seating capacity of 20,27 ...

. This game was ended by The Shot.

Los Angeles Clippers (1989–1994)

In his fourth season, 1989–90, after seven games with the Cavaliers, on November 16, 1989, Harper was traded to the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...

, alongside two first-round draft picks and a second-round draft pick, for Reggie Williams and

Danny Ferry Daniel John Willard Ferry (born October 17, 1966) is an American executive and former professional basketball player who played the forward position. Considered one of the most celebrated basketball players in the United States from the high sc ...

, the latter having refused to play for the Clippers. Harper started all 28 games he played for the Clippers, but his season was cut short by a serious right knee injury suffered in a game in January 1990. Diagnosed with both a torn

anterior cruciate ligament The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation. In ...

and torn

cartilage Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. Semi-transparent and non-porous, it is usually covered by a tough and fibrous membrane called perichondrium. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints ...

, he underwent surgery. For the 1989–90 season overall, he averaged 22.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 5.2 assists, 2.3 steals and a career-high 1.2 blocks per game. His season was highlighted by back-to-back 39-point games against Denver and Indiana in December 1989, both of which the Clippers won. In his next season, 1990–91, he was limited to 39 games, but still posted averages of 19.6 ppg and 4.8 rpg along with 5.4 assists and 1.7 steals By 1991–92, his sixth NBA season, he bounced back to start all 82 games, averaging 18.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.1 assists and 1.9 steals. as the Clippers advanced to the

, where they were eliminated three games to two by the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

. In 1992–93, Harper was named a co-captain (alongside Danny Manning and Mark Jackson). In 80 games (77 as a starter), Harper averaged 18.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.5 assists and 2.2 steals. The Clippers again made the

, but yet again Harper's team was eliminated in the first round, this time three games to two by the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

. In 1993–94, his fourth full season with the Clippers and eighth in the NBA, he played and started in 75 games, averaging 20.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 4.6 assists and 1.9 steals. On March 11, 1994, he tallied a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists along with six steals in a win over the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...

. Two nights later, he came within one assist of duplicating the feat, with 39 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists plus another six steals in a win over the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...

Chicago Bulls (1994–1999)

On September 15, 1994, Harper signed a free-agent deal with the

, who were reloading following the first retirement of

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...

. Harper found his niche with the Bulls upon Jordan's return, eventually becoming a fan favorite by reinventing himself as a big perimeter defender, ball handler, and mid-range scorer. In his first season in Chicago, 1994–95, Harper started 53 of the 77 games he played, although his minutes dipped to 19.9 per game and he averaged a then-career low of 6.9 ppg. For the first time in Harper's career, his team advanced past the first round of the

, as the Bulls defeated the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...

three games to one before losing to the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...

four games to two in the conference semifinals. In 1995–96, Harper's 10th NBA season, he played in and started 80 games, with his playing time increasing to 23.6 minutes per game and his scoring average to 7.4 ppg. It was a record-setting season for the Bulls as the team, coached by

Phil Jackson Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Jackson is a 13-time NBA champion, having won two as a player and 11 as ...

and led by Jordan and

Scottie Pippen Scotty Maurice Pippen Sr. (born September 25, 1965), usually spelled Scottie Pippen, is an American former professional basketball player. He played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning six NBA championships with th ...

and with Harper playing a key role, had a then NBA all-time best record of 72–10. They then defeated the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

, and

in the first three rounds of the

en route to winning their fourth

NBA championship The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...

four games to two over the Seattle SuperSonics. In 1996–97, he played in 76 games, starting 74 and averaging 6.3 ppg. The Bulls had another dominant regular season with a record of 69–13 as they defeated the

Washington Bullets The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

and

in the first three rounds of the

en route to winning their fifth

, this time four games to two over the

. In 1997–98, Harper's 12th NBA season, he started all 82 games for the Bulls, increasing his minutes per game to 27.9 and his scoring average to 9.3 ppg. The Bulls had a regular-season record of 62–20 as they defeated the

New Jersey Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

and

in the first three rounds of the

en route to winning their sixth

, again four games to two over the

. Harper played his final season with the Bulls during the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season. With the Bulls roster depleted due to the second retirement of Michael Jordan, as well as the losses of Scottie Pippen and

Dennis Rodman Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. Renowned for his defensive and rebounding abilities, his biography on the official NBA website states that he is "arguably the best rebounding forw ...

, the Bulls floundered to a 13–37 record. Harper played 35 games, starting all of them. He finished second on the team with 11.2 ppg. During his five seasons with the Bulls, he averaged about 25 minutes per game, averaging between 6.3 and 11.2 ppg during those seasons.

Los Angeles Lakers (1999–2001)

After being released by the Bulls prior to the 1999–2000 season, on October 13, 1999, he signed a two-year contract as a free agent with the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

and his former Bulls coach, Phil Jackson. During the 1999–2000 season, Harper started 78 of 80 games playing much the same role as he did for the Bulls, averaging 7.0 ppg and finishing second on the Lakers in steals behind

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...

. Led by Bryant and

Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...

, the Lakers won 67 games and secured the league's best record as they defeated the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

and

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

in the first three rounds of the

. In the final minute of game 3 in Portland, Harper caught a pass from Bryant in the left corner and sank a 19-foot jump shot with 29.9 seconds remaining to give the Lakers a 93–91 lead. On the final play of the game, Harper helped Bryant block a shot by Arvydas Sabonis to seal the Lakers' victory. The Lakers would win the series in seven games to set up a match-up with the

in the

Finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

. In game 2, Bryant sprained his ankle and left the game. Harper and Glen Rice picked up the slack with 21 points apiece to help the Lakers take a 2–0 lead. The Lakers would go on to win the NBA championship over the Pacers four games to two. Harper started all 23 games in the postseason and averaged 8.6 points per game, earning his fourth NBA championship ring. The 2000–2001 season was Harper's 15th and final NBA season. Injuries limited him to 47 games (starting 46). By season's end, Derek Fisher had taken over the starting point guard slot, and Harper would only play in six games during the

. The Lakers reached the

, where they faced the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

. Following the Sixers' win in game 1, the Lakers won games 2 and 3. In game 4, Harper made crucial shots on the way to eight points, his best point total for the series. The Lakers won games 4 and game 5 to win their second straight NBA championship. It earned Harper his fifth NBA championship ring in a six-year span.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

, 82, , 82, , 37.4, , .455, , .213, , .684, , 4.8, , 4.8, , 2.5, , 1.0, , 22.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 52, , 52, , 32.1, , .464, , .150, , .705, , 3.9, , 4.9, , 2.1, , .9, , 15.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82, , 82, , 34.8, , .511, , .250, , .751, , 5.0, , 5.3, , 2.3, , .9, , 18.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 7, , 7, , 37.4, , .442, , .200, , .756, , 6.9, , 7.0, , 2.0, , 1.3, , 22.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 28, , 28, , 39.5, , .481, , .283, , .795, , 5.6, , 4.8, , 2.4, , 1.1, , 23.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 39, , 34, , 35.5, , .391, , .324, , .668, , 4.8, , 5.4, , 1.7, , .9, , 19.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 82, , 82, , 38.3, , .440, , .303, , .736, , 5.5, , 5.1, , 1.9, , .9, , 18.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 80, , 77, , 37.1, , .451, , .280, , .769, , 5.3, , 4.5, , 2.2, , .9, , 18.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 75, , 75, , 38.1, , .426, , .301, , .715, , 6.1, , 4.6, , 1.9, , .7, , 20.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, 77, , 53, , 19.9, , .426, , .282, , .618, , 2.3, , 2.0, , 1.3, , .4, , 6.9 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",

, 80, , 80, , 23.6, , .467, , .269, , .705, , 2.7, , 2.6, , 1.3, , .4, , 7.4 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",

, 76, , 74, , 22.9, , .436, , .362, , .707, , 2.5, , 2.5, , 1.1, , .5, , 6.3 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",

, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 27.9, , .441, , .190, , .750, , 3.5, , 2.9, , 1.3, , .6, , 9.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 35, , 35, , 31.6, , .377, , .318, , .703, , 5.1, , 3.3, , 1.7, , 1.0, , 11.2 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 80, , 78, , 25.5, , .399, , .311, , .680, , 4.2, , 3.4, , 1.1, , .5, , 7.0 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 47, , 46, , 24.2, , .469, , .264, , .708, , 3.5, , 2.4, , .5, , .5, , 6.5 , - , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" , Career , 1009, , 967, , 30.9, , .446, , .289, , .720, , 4.3, , 3.9, , 1.7, , .7, , 13.8

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1988 , style="text-align:left;",

, 4, , 4, , 33.5, , .476, , .000, , .688, , 5.0, , 3.8, , 2.8, , 1.0, , 17.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5, , 5, , 37.8, , .565, , .000, , .769, , 4.2, , 4.0, , 2.2, , .8, , 19.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 5, , 5, , 41.2, , .448, , .111, , .786, , 6.4, , 4.6, , 1.0, , .8, , 18.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 5, , 5, , 34.8, , .474, , .500, , .647, , 4.0, , 3.2, , 3.0, , 2.0, , 18.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 6, , 0, , 6.7, , .429, , .000, , .000, , 1.0, , .7, , .5, , .2, , 2.0 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

† , style="text-align:left;",

, 18, , 16, , 27.4, , .425, , .319, , .690, , 3.7, , 2.5, , 1.4, , .4, , 8.8 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

† , style="text-align:left;",

, 19, , 19, , 27.1, , .400, , .344, , .750, , 4.3, , 3.0, , 1.3, , .7, , 7.5 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

† , style="text-align:left;",

, 21, , 21, , 26.8, , .459, , .263, , .615, , 3.7, , 2.3, , 1.0, , .9, , 6.7 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

† , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 23, , 23, , 28.0, , .431, , .231, , .702, , 3.7, , 3.2, , 1.0, , .6, , 8.6 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

† , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 6, , 0, , 7.0, , .500, , .250, , .667, , 1.3, , .7, , .7, , .2, , 2.2 , - , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" , Career , 112, , 98, , 26.8, , .450, , .292, , .698, , 3.7, , 2.7, , 1.3, , .7, , 9.0

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1982–83 , style="text-align:left;", Miami (OH) , 28 , , – , , 31.7 , , .497 , , – , , .674 , , 7.0 , , 2.2 , , 2.2 , , 1.0 , , 12.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1983–84 , style="text-align:left;", Miami (OH) , 30 , , – , , 33.0 , , .537 , , – , , .570 , , 7.6 , , 2.1 , , 1.4 , , 1.0 , , 16.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1984–85 , style="text-align:left;", Miami (OH) , 31 , , – , , 36.9 , , .541 , , – , , .661 , , 10.7 , , 2.5 , , 2.6 , , 1.5 , , 24.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1985–86 , style="text-align:left;", Miami (OH) , 31 , , – , , 36.9 , , .545 , , – , , .665 , , 11.7 , , 4.3 , , 3.3 , , 2.3 , , 24.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 120 , , – , , 34.7 , , .534 , , – , , .642 , , 9.3 , , 2.8 , , 2.4 , , 1.5 , , 19.8

Coaching career

In 2005, Harper signed as an assistant coach for the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

. His two-year deal was not renewed in 2007.

Media appearances

On November 1, 1997, Ron Harper appeared in the

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

'' Kenan & Kel'', in the episode titled "Foul Bull". In the episode, Harper, as a Chicago Bull, slips on some orange soda and gets injured, and all of Chicago is angry with Kenan and Kel, who try to apologize.

Personal life

Harper has battled

stuttering Stuttering, also known as stammering, is a speech disorder characterized externally by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases as well as involuntary silent pauses called blocks in which the person who ...

for most of his life, and donates his time to the National Stuttering Association to encourage others with this problem to not let it hinder them. Harper is the father of NBA players Ron Harper Jr. and Dylan Harper, both with his ex-wife Maria. Dylan played for the

Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball The Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team represents Rutgers University–New Brunswick, Rutgers University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition and competes in the Big Ten Conference. Rutgers made the NCAA Final Four in 1976 ...

in college and was a 5 star recruit in the Class of 2024. He is the godfather to R. J. Hunter.

References

External links

*
SLAM magazine article
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harper, Ron 1964 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen African-American basketball coaches All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Dayton, Ohio Chicago Bulls players Cleveland Cavaliers draft picks Cleveland Cavaliers players Detroit Pistons assistant coaches FISU World University Games silver medalists for the United States Los Angeles Clippers players Los Angeles Lakers players Miami RedHawks men's basketball players Point guards Shooting guards Small forwards Stuttering Summer World University Games medalists in basketball

Early life

College career

Professional career

Cleveland Cavaliers (1986–1989)

Los Angeles Clippers (1989–1994)

Chicago Bulls (1994–1999)

Los Angeles Lakers (1999–2001)

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College

Coaching career

Media appearances

Personal life

See also

References

External links