Eric Money facts for kids

Eric Money (born February 6, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player. He played as a guard in the NBA for six seasons.

Early Basketball Days

Eric Money grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He was a talented 6-foot-tall guard. He played high school basketball at Kettering High School. There, he teamed up with other future NBA players, Lindsay Hairston and Coniel Norman. Together, they helped Kettering win the 1971 Detroit Public School League title.

After high school, Eric went to college at the University of Arizona. He was part of the first group of players allowed to play as freshmen. In his first year, he scored an average of 19.9 points per game. He left college after his second year, where he averaged 18.1 points per game.

Professional Basketball Career

Starting in the NBA

In 1974, the Detroit Pistons picked Eric Money in the NBA draft. He was the 33rd player chosen overall. He started playing in the NBA when he was just 19 years old.

During the 1975–76 Detroit Pistons season, Eric got a big chance. The team's starting player, Kevin Porter, got injured. This meant Eric Money played a lot more. He did very well, scoring 13.0 points and making 4.2 assists per game. He helped the Pistons win their first playoff series since 1962.

In the 1977–78 season, Kevin Porter was traded away. This made Eric Money the main starting guard. He had his best season, averaging 18.6 points and 4.7 assists per game.

Moving to New Teams

The 1978–79 NBA season was a busy one for Eric. He was traded to the New Jersey Nets. Interestingly, this trade was for Kevin Porter, the player he had replaced earlier. Later that same season, Eric was traded again to the Philadelphia 76ers.

After being released by Philadelphia, Eric returned to the Detroit Pistons. He played for them in the 1979–80 season. He averaged 10.9 points per game. This was his last season in the NBA.

Eric Money played six seasons in the NBA, from 1974 to 1980. He averaged 12.2 points per game over his career.

Playing for Two Teams in One Game

Eric Money is one of only three players in NBA history to play for two different teams in a single game. He is also the only player to officially score points for both teams in the same game!

This unusual event happened because of a mistake by a referee in a game in November 1978. It was between the Nets and the 76ers. The referee made some errors with technical fouls.

The Nets asked the NBA to replay the last two quarters of the game. This replay happened the following March. In the time between the original game and the replay, Eric Money and two other players, Harvey Catchings and Ralph Simpson, were traded between the two teams. Eric Money joined the 76ers.

So, when the game was replayed, Eric Money played for the 76ers against his former team, the Nets. This is how he ended up playing and scoring for both teams in what was officially considered one game.

Life After Basketball

Eric Money appeared in a movie called The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh in 1979. It was about professional basketball players.

In 2014, he helped write a book called Tucson a Basketball Town. This book was about his college coach at Arizona, Fred Snowden. Snowden was the second black head coach in NCAA Division I history. The book also talked about the opening of the McKale Center in 1973, where Eric played college basketball.

Today, Eric Money lives in Arizona. He coaches young basketball players and helps them improve their skills.

See also

In Spanish: Eric Money para niños