Aaron McKie facts for kids
McKie standing on the sidelines during a 2023 Temple basketball game
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| Temple Owls | |
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| Special Advisor for Athletics | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | October 2, 1972 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| High school | Simon Gratz (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 209 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Temple (1991–1994) |
| NBA Draft | 1994 / Round: 1 / Pick: 17th overall |
| Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Pro career | 1994–2007 |
| Coaching career | 2007–present |
| League | American Athletic Conference |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1994–1997 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1997 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1997–2005 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2005–2007 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| As coach: | |
| 2007–2013 | Philadelphia 76ers (assistant) |
| 2014–2019 | Temple (assistant) |
| 2019–2023 | Temple |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 5,871 (7.4 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,587 (3.3 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,126 (2.7 apg) |
Aaron Fitzgerald McKie (born October 2, 1972) is an American basketball coach and former professional basketball player. He played for 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Today, he works as a special advisor for athletics at Temple University, where he also went to college. From 2019 to 2023, he was the head coach for the Temple men's basketball team. McKie was chosen by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1994 NBA draft. During his career from 1994 to 2007, he played as a point guard, shooting guard, or small forward.
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High School Basketball Star
Aaron McKie went to Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia. He was a great basketball player there. In his final year, he was chosen as an All-Scholastic and All-Southern Pennsylvania player. He helped his team win the Public League championship. His team had a great record of 26 wins and 4 losses. McKie averaged 18.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. He finished high school in 1990.
College Basketball Journey
After taking a year off when he first started, McKie played three years at Temple University. He became one of the top scorers in the school's history. He scored 1,650 points, averaging 17.9 points per game. He started every one of the 92 games he played.
McKie played alongside future All-Star Eddie Jones at Temple. In his senior year, he was named to the first-team All-Atlantic 10. He also made the A-10 all-tournament team. As a junior, he was named the 1993 Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year. That year, he averaged 20.6 points per game.
Playing in the NBA
The Portland Trail Blazers picked Aaron McKie as the 17th player in the 1994 NBA draft. After playing for Portland, he also played for the Detroit Pistons, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
In the 2000–01 NBA season, McKie won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. This award goes to the best player who usually comes off the bench instead of starting. He was the first Sixers player since Bobby Jones in 1983 to win this honor. McKie was a very important player for the 76ers team that made it to the NBA Finals that year. He often played as a backup to star players Eric Snow and Allen Iverson. Sometimes, he even started games.
During the 2000-01 season, McKie had two "triple-doubles" in a row. A triple-double means a player gets at least 10 in three different stats, like points, rebounds, and assists. On December 30, 2000, he had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists against the Sacramento Kings. Then, on January 3, 2001, he had 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Atlanta Hawks.
On August 12, 2005, the 76ers decided to let McKie go. This was part of a special rule that allowed teams to save money on player salaries. McKie then signed with the Lakers on August 22, 2005. He played 14 games for them. In October 2007, McKie returned to the 76ers, but this time as an assistant coach.
Coaching Career Highlights
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Coaching the Philadelphia 76ers (2007-2013)
After leaving the Grizzlies, McKie came back to the Philadelphia 76ers as an assistant coach in September 2008. He stayed in this role until 2013.
Coaching the Temple Owls (2014-2023)
McKie then left the 76ers to join the men's basketball coaching staff at Temple University. He worked under coach Fran Dunphy. Temple University later announced that McKie would take over as the head coach of the men's basketball team starting in the 2019 season.
His first two seasons as head coach were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the tournament was canceled. In 2021, many games were canceled, and the team only played 16 games.
McKie's first full season as head coach was the 2021-22 season. The Temple Owls finished with 17 wins and 12 losses. They were the #4 team in their conference tournament but lost in the quarterfinals.
In the 2022-2023 season, the team had high hopes. They had a mix of ups and downs. They had a surprising loss to Wagner but then beat the #16 team, Villanova. A big moment was when Temple beat Houston, who was the #1 team in the nation. However, the Owls struggled towards the end of the season. They lost in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.
On March 13, 2023, Temple announced that McKie would step down as the head coach. He took on a new role as a special advisor to the athletics department.
Personal Life
Aaron McKie is a distant cousin of Jason McKie, who played in the NFL. Allen Iverson, a famous basketball player, once said that Aaron McKie was the teammate who influenced him the most.
See also
In Spanish: Aaron McKie para niños
