Ricky Pierce

Ricky Charles Pierce (born August 19, 1959) is an American retired National Basketball Association (NBA) player.

Career beginnings

He graduated from Garland High School. Pierce played basketball at Rice University,.^[1]

NBA

Detroit Pistons

He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 1st round (18th pick) of the 1982 NBA Draft. Used sparingly in his rookie season, he was traded to the San Diego Clippers immediately prior to the 1983-84 NBA season for two future 2nd round draft picks.

San Diego Clippers

Pierce became a rotation regular during his one season with the Clippers, averaging 9.9 points and 18.6 minutes per game. He started 35 games during the season, highlighted by a then-career-high 30-point performance against San Antonio in his first start as a Clipper.

Milwaukee Bucks

Pierce was traded by the San Diego Clippers before the 1984-85 season along with Terry Cummings to the Milwaukee Bucks. Pierce was reunited with his coach at Rice, Mike Schuler, who was then an assistant coach for the Bucks. Pierce would go on to average 17 points per game over the next 6 full seasons in Milwaukee, despite starting only 46 games in that time.

Pierce won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award for 1986–87 for averaging 19.5 points per game with a 53.4% shooting percentage in his third season with the Bucks. He earned the same award again three seasons later, averaging 23.0 points per game without starting a single one (an NBA record)^[2] in 1989–90. In the week preceding the 1991 trade deadline, the Bucks traded Pierce to the Seattle SuperSonics for Dale Ellis.

Seattle Supersonics

Pierce became a regular starter in the 1991–92 season, his first full season with the Sonics. He made 75 consecutive free throws through several games in November–December 1991, the second-longest such streak at that time. In 1993, Pierce and teammates Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp led the Sonics to Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the Phoenix Suns. Pierce returned to the bench for 1993–94 following Seattle’s off-season acquisition of Kendall Gill.

Golden State Warriors

On July 18, 1994, Pierce was traded along with Carlos Rogers and two draft picks to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Byron Houston and Sarunas Marciulionis. Pierce battled foot and back injuries during the season and was only able to see action in 27 games.

Indiana Pacers

Prior to the 1995–96 season, Pierce signed with the Indiana Pacers as an unrestricted free agent. Healthy once more, Pierce appeared in 76 games, and after starting only 2 games all season, he started 4 of the Pacers' 5 first round playoff games, contributing 10.2 points and 3.0 assists per game.

Denver Nuggets

Indiana traded Pierce to the Denver Nuggets before the start of 1996–97 season, sending Mark Jackson and a 1st round draft pick to the Nuggets in exchange for Jalen Rose, Reggie Williams, and the Nuggets' 1st round pick. In February, with the Nuggets out of the playoff picture, Pierce was traded to the Charlotte Hornets for Anthony Goldwire and George Zidek.

Charlotte Hornets

Pierce played an expanded role with the playoff-bound Hornets, starting 17 of the final 29 games and averaging 12 points per game. In the playoffs, Pierce started the first 2 games of the Hornets' series with the New York Knicks and contributed 11 points off the bench in the third, which would be his final playoff game as a player.

AEK BC Athens, return to the Bucks and retirement

Without a contract for the 1997–98 season, Pierce signed to play with AEK B.C. Athens, a Greek professional team. Pierce played five games with AEK before signing as a free agent with the Milwaukee Bucks in December 1997, and retired from basketball at the end of the season.

Post playing career

Since retiring, Pierce has developed his own basketball system that assists with shooting accuracy with specially-designed fingertip-placement markers.^[3] Pierce developed the idea after watching his son, Aron, playing basketball at the YMCA. Pierce was giving advice to parents on how to teach their kids the perfect jump shot.^[4] A product would later be developed known as the Accushot22, a specially designed basketball with 10 oval indentations.^[4] The product sells for $37.95, although hundreds are given away free to underprivileged children.^[4]

Pierce returned to Rice University to complete his degree, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in kinesiology in May 2012.^[5]

Notes

External links

• Career statistics and player information from NBA.com (selected season stats and career highs)
• Ricky Pierce biography by the NBA
• Ricky Pierce at Basketball-Reference.com