Eric Money facts for kids

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

Playing in High School and College

Eric Money was a 6-foot-tall guard from Kettering High School in Detroit, Michigan. He played alongside other future NBA players, Lindsay Hairston and Coniel Norman. Together, they helped Kettering win the 1971 Detroit Public School League title.

After finishing high school in 1972, Money went on to play college basketball 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 the Wildcats after his second year, where he averaged 18.1 points per game.

Professional Basketball Career

The Detroit Pistons, his hometown team, chose Eric Money in the second round of the 1974 NBA draft. He was the 33rd player picked overall. Money began playing in the NBA when he was just 19 years old.

Early Years with the Pistons

During the 1975–76 Detroit Pistons season, Eric Money got a chance to play a lot more. The team's starting player, Kevin Porter, got injured after 19 games. Money stepped up and played very well, averaging 13.0 points and 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 meant Money became the team's main starting guard. He had his best season ever, scoring 18.6 points and making 4.7 assists per game.

Moving to Other Teams

The 1978–79 NBA season was a busy one for Eric Money. He was traded to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Kevin Porter. Later that same season, he was traded again, this time to the Philadelphia 76ers.

After being released by Philadelphia at the start of the 1979–80 NBA season, Money returned to Detroit. He signed with the Pistons again as a free agent. In what would be his final NBA season, he averaged 10.9 points per game.

Money played a total of six seasons in the NBA, from 1974 to 1980. He averaged 12.2 points per game throughout his career.

Playing for Two Teams in One Game

Eric Money is one of only three players in NBA history to have played 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 some mistakes made by a referee during a game in November 1978. The game was between the Nets and the 76ers. The referee, Richie Powers, gave too many technical fouls to players and the coach.

The Nets asked the NBA Commissioner, Larry O'Brien, 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, Money, Harvey Catchings, and Ralph Simpson were traded between the two teams. Eric Money joined the 76ers.

Another player, Al Skinner, was also traded but did not play in either part of the game. This makes him the only player in NBA history to have an official "Did Not Play" (DNP) for both teams in the same NBA game.

Life After Basketball

In 1979, Eric Money appeared in the film The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, which was about basketball.

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

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

Career Statistics Summary

Eric Money's NBA career statistics include:

• Points: 5,211 (averaging 12.2 points per game)
• Rebounds: 894 (averaging 2.1 rebounds per game)
• Assists: 1,623 (averaging 3.8 assists per game)

See also

In Spanish: Eric Money para niños