Isaiah Rider Jr., nicknamed J.R. (born March 12, 1971), 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 who played nine seasons in the NBA. Rider was born in

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

, and was raised in nearby Alameda. He starred in both baseball and basketball at Encinal High School before going on to a college career with the

University of Nevada, Las Vegas The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the ...

(

UNLV The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. ...

), and a professional career 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 ...

Early life and college career

The Rider was a prep star at Encinal High School in

Alameda, California Alameda ( ; ; Spanish for "Avenue (landscape), tree-lined path") is a city in Alameda County, California, United States, located in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), East Bay region of the Bay Area. The city is built on an informal archipe ...

(just outside

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

) and was one of the top rated players in the state. Rider attended two

junior college A junior college is a type of post-secondary institution that offers vocational and academic training that is designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations or support roles in professions such as engineering, a ...

s, Allen County Community College in

Iola, Kansas Iola () is the county seat of Allen County, Kansas, United States. The city is situated along the Neosho River in southeast Kansas. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 5,396. It is named in honor o ...

, where he averaged just over 30 points per game; and Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, California (33 points per game), before finding a home at UNLV. During the 1991–1992 season, Rider led the Runnin' Rebels to a 26–2 record (18–0 in conference) and a number 7 ranking in the final

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

regular season poll while averaging over 21 points per game, but wasn't seen on national television because UNLV was serving an NCAA-imposed punishment that stemmed from previous infractions. (In a "

plea bargain A plea bargain, also known as a plea agreement or plea deal, is a legal arrangement in criminal law where the defendant agrees to plead guilty or no contest to a charge in exchange for concessions from the prosecutor. These concessions can include a ...

" of sorts, UNLV was allowed to defend its NCAA title the previous year – they lost to Duke in the

Final Four In sports, the final four is the last four teams remaining in a playoffs, playoff tournament. Usually the final four compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final (penultimate) round. Of these teams, the two who win in ...

. In exchange, the Rebels were barred from postseason play and national television for the 1991–92 season.) He finally got the nation's eyes to watch him in his senior year, where he averaged 29.1 points per game (2nd in the country behind University of Texas-Pan American's Greg Guy), was named the Big West Conference Player of the Year and garnered 2nd-Team

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

honors. UNLV finished 21-8 (13–5 in

Big West Conference The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's NCAA Division I, Division I. The conference was origina ...

), lost the regular season conference title to New Mexico State and failed to make the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

's 64-team Tournament field. The Rebels did earn a spot in the

National Invitation Tournament The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is an annual men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since 2023, all rounds of the tournament are played at various sites across the country whi ...

, but Rider was suspended for the NIT due to academic issues surrounding allegations that he had someone cheating for him on some of his college classwork. Without their star player on the court, the Runnin' Rebels were knocked out of the NIT in the 1st round 90–73 to Southern California.

Professional career

Minnesota Timberwolves (1993–1996)

Rider was chosen with the 5th overall pick of the

1993 NBA draft The 1993–94 NBA season, 1993 NBA draft took place on June 30, 1993, at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The draft had some talented players at the top, but injuries and personal problems hurt many of them. Chris Webber, Pen ...

by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Rider started his NBA career strong, finishing the 1993–94 season as a member of the NBA's All-Rookie First Team. He won the 1994

NBA Slam Dunk Contest The NBA Slam Dunk Contest (officially known as the AT&T Slam Dunk) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. The contest was conceived of and started by the American Basketball Associat ...

(he brashly predicted that he would win on draft day) with a dunk that he called "The East Bay Funk Dunk." Rider also became famous for a miraculous shot made in a game on December 22, 1994, 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 ...

. Losing control of the ball with it nearly going out of bounds, Rider reached out and threw the ball blindly over his shoulder to keep it in play, and the ball went through the hoop as a three-point basket, a play that one announcer exclaimed as the "Play of the decade." While Rider averaged 19 points per game in his three years with the Timberwolves, his play slipped after his rookie season. He also began a pattern of off-court misbehavior. He was found to be insubordinate towards Timberwolves management, and was involved in an incident in which he kicked the female manager of a sports bar for which he ultimately was convicted of fifth-degree assault.Las Vegas Rj:Sports: Rider On A Storm
/ref> By 1996, Minnesota finally lost patience with Rider and dealt him to Portland in return for Bill Curley, James Robinson and a conditional first round draft pick in 1997 or 1998. Just before the trade Rider was arrested for

marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...

possession. At the time of his arrest he also had an illegal cell phone; it had been altered to charge calls to someone else's bill. He was later convicted of misdemeanor marijuana possession, and pleaded no contest to possessing the illegal cell phone. Three weeks later, he was arrested for gambling in public back in Oakland.

Portland Trail Blazers (1996–1999)

In the 1997–98 season, Rider led the Blazers in scoring (19.7 points per game, 15th in the NBA) and in three-pointers made (135, 8th) and attempted (420). Rider tallied a season-high 38 points (15-25 FG), along with 5 rebounds and 4 assists, against the Toronto Raptors on February 1, 1998. In the 1998–99 season, Rider averaged 13.9 points per game and led the team in scoring 13 times.

Atlanta Hawks (1999–2000)

Following the 1998–99 season, Rider was traded to the

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 ...

in a trade that sent Steve Smith to the Blazers. The Hawks had finished fourth in the Eastern Conference in the lockout-shortened season, and thought Rider was the final piece in the puzzle. So they sent Smith to the Blazers for Rider and Jim Jackson, another talent who had not quite reached his potential. The trade didn't sit well with Hawks fans, since Smith had been one of the most popular players on the team. Coach

Lenny Wilkens Leonard Randolph Wilkens (born October 28, 1937) is an American former professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been inducted three times into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, fi ...

didn't want the trade either, but tried to fit Rider into the system.Addy, Steve
J. R. MIA
Las Vegas Sun, 2000-08-04. Rider played well enough on the court, pacing the Hawks in scoring. However, his off-court incidents exploded in Atlanta. After reports that he had smoked marijuana in an Orlando hotel room, the league demanded that he attend drug counseling. He refused and was fined a total of $200,000 until he agreed to attend. He was suspended numerous times by the Hawks as well, and fined a total of $200,000 by the team. Even after Wilkens benched him in March with the Hawks long out of contention, Rider still continued to be tardy for games and practices, prompting the Hawks to threaten a three-game suspension for another incident. He showed up late for a March game in

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, and rather than serve a three-game suspension, he demanded his outright release. The Hawks complied.

Los Angeles Lakers (2000–2001)

Rider played in 67 games with the Lakers during the 2000–01 season, leading their bench in scoring with a 7.6 average. He was suspended for five games in March 2001 for failing to comply with the NBA's anti-drug policy. Though left off the playoff roster in favor of Tyronn Lue, Rider was awarded a championship ring by the franchise. After the season, Rider stated that he wanted to return to the Lakers.

Denver Nuggets (2001)

Prior to the 2001–02 season, the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

signed Rider to help resuscitate their moribund offense, but Rider's stint in Denver was limited to just 10 games before he was waived on November 20, 2001. Rider refused to term it "retirement" at the time, however, insisting that he could still play if given the chance. In 563 NBA games, (424 starts), Rider averaged 16.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 31:42 of floor time per game. Rider totaled 9,405 points in his 9-year NBA career.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

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, 75 , , 67 , , 35.3 , , .447 , , .351 , , .817 , , 3.3 , , 3.3 , , .9 , , .3 , , 20.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 75 , , 68 , , 34.6 , , .464 , , .371 , , .838 , , 4.1 , , 2.8 , , .6 , , .3 , , 19.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Portland , 76 , , 68 , , 33.7 , , .464 , , .385 , , .812 , , 4.0 , , 2.6 , , .6 , , .3 , , 16.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Portland , 74 , , 66 , , 37.6 , , .423 , , .321 , , .828 , , 4.7 , , 3.1 , , .7 , , .3 , , 19.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Portland , 47 , , 41 , , 29.5 , , .412 , , .378 , , .755 , , 4.2 , , 2.2 , , .5 , , .2 , , 13.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, 60 , , 47 , , 34.7 , , .419 , , .311 , , .785 , , 4.3 , , 3.7 , , .7 , , .1 , , 19.3 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 67 , , 6 , , 18.0 , , .426 , , .370 , , .855 , , 2.3 , , 1.7 , , .4 , , .1 , , 7.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, 10 , , 1 , , 17.3 , , .457 , , .400 , , .765 , , 3.3 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , .2 , , 9.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 563 , , 424 , , 31.7 , , .443 , , .352 , , .812 , , 3.8 , , 2.7 , , .7 , , .2 , , 16.7

Playoffs

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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;", Portland , 4 , , 4 , , 40.3 , , .372 , , .375 , , .882 , , 2.0 , , 4.3 , , .8 , , .0 , , 13.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

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;", Portland , 4 , , 4 , , 41.5 , , .418 , , .091 , , .769 , , 5.0 , , 4.3 , , 1.3 , , .0 , , 19.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

, style="text-align:left;", Portland , 13 , , 13 , , 32.8 , , .429 , , .423 , , .887 , , 3.8 , , 2.4 , , .8 , , .0 , , 16.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 21 , , 21 , , 35.9 , , .418 , , .340 , , .860 , , 3.7 , , 3.1 , , .9 , , .0 , , 16.4

Off the court

During his NBA career and in subsequent years, Rider was dogged by a variety of personal problems, including accusations of drug use and assault. In 2007, he was sentenced to seven months in jail after pleading guilty to

cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...

possession, evading the police, and battery, though he only served about half of that time. "It was the ultimate low point of my life ..There were no visitors. No one down for me. No letters. I had fake friends. They left me for dead", Rider told

Yahoo! Sports Yahoo! Sports is a sports news website launched by Yahoo! on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from Stats Perform. It employs numerous writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American major sport. ...

. At the time of his sentencing, Rider's mother was in a

coma A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to Nociception, respond normally to Pain, painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal Circadian rhythm, sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate ...

, which weighed heavily on his mind. In 2012, Rider announced he was planning to release a documentary about his life, called ''My Testimony: Raw and Uncut''. Rider has also established a charitable organization for children called the Sky Rider Foundation. "I just want to help kids. With today's economy some parents cannot afford to send their kids to the extracurricular activities. It's very costly, there's registration fees, equipment, uniforms and shoe costs. If a kid has dreams to be somebody, I want to help", he said in an interview.

Rap career

On a 1994 album titled '' B-Ball's Best Kept Secret'' which featured songs performed by NBA players ranging from

Gary Payton Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best know ...

and

Jason Kidd Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...

to Brian Shaw and Chris Mills, Rider (credited as J.R. on the album) provided the track "Funk in the Trunk".

References

External links

J.R. Rider's Official NBA Player File
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rider, Isaiah 1971 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen All-American college men's basketball players Allen Red Devils men's basketball players American men's basketball players American people convicted of assault American people convicted of drug offenses American sportspeople convicted of crimes Antelope Valley Marauders men's basketball players Atlanta Hawks players Basketball players from Oakland, California Denver Nuggets players Los Angeles Lakers players Minnesota Timberwolves draft picks Minnesota Timberwolves players People convicted of battery Portland Trail Blazers players Shooting guards Small forwards UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball players