Eric Snow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Eric Snow

Snow with the Cavaliers in 2007
Personal information
Born	(1973-04-24) April 24, 1973 (age 52) Canton, Ohio, U.S.
High school	Canton McKinley (Canton, Ohio)
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	208 lb (94 kg)
Career information
College	Michigan State (1991–1995)
NBA Draft	1995 / Round: 2 / Pick: 43rd overall
Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks
Pro career	1995–2009
Coaching career	2014–present
Career history
As player:
1995–1998	Seattle SuperSonics
1998–2004	Philadelphia 76ers
2004–2009	Cleveland Cavaliers
As coach:
2012–2014	SMU (dir. of player development)
2014–2016	Florida Atlantic (assistant)
2017–2021	Texas Legends (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2003)
Career NBA statistics
Points	5,791 (6.8 ppg)
Assists	4,245 (5.0 apg)
Steals	975 (1.2 spg)

Eric Snow (born April 24, 1973) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He played as a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1995 to 2008. Eric Snow reached the NBA Finals three times during his career. He was well-known for his strong defense. In 2003, he was even named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

After his playing days, Snow became a coach. He worked as an assistant coach at Florida Atlantic University for two years (2014–2016). Before that, he was the director of player development at SMU (2012–2014). His former coach, Larry Brown, was also there.

Early Life and High School

Eric Snow was born in Canton, Ohio, on April 24, 1973. He started playing basketball at Canton McKinley High School from 1989 to 1991. In the 1989-90 season, he averaged 18.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5 steals, and 3.5 assists per game. His team had a great record of 24 wins and 2 losses.

Snow was named MVP (Most Valuable Player) for McKinley High School for three years in a row. He was also chosen as first-team All-Ohio as a junior and senior. As a senior, he received an honorable mention as an All-American. In his junior year, his team made it to the state championship tournament's final four. People in high school called him "Mr. Clutch" because he was great in important moments.

Eric Snow was also a good student. He graduated from McKinley High with a 3.7 grade point average. He was also a member of the National Honor Society.

College Career at Michigan State

Snow went to Michigan State University (MSU) for college. He played basketball there under coach Jud Heathcote, who is in the College Basketball Hall of Fame. From 1992 to 1995, Snow led his team in both assists and steals for three seasons.

When he finished college, he was second on MSU's all-time list for assists. Only Scott Skiles had more. His teams played in the NCAA Tournament in 1992, 1994, and 1995. They reached the second round in 1992 and 1994.

In his senior year (1994-1995), Snow was a co-captain of the team. He was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He also made the All-Big Ten Second Team and was the Team MVP. That year, MSU finished second in the Big Ten. They were the number 3 seed in the 1995 NCAA Tournament but lost in the first round.

Professional Basketball Career

Seattle SuperSonics (1995–1998)

The Milwaukee Bucks picked Eric Snow as the 43rd player in the 1995 NBA draft. They immediately traded him to the Seattle SuperSonics. In his first two seasons, Snow played very little. He was the third-string point guard behind Gary Payton and Nate McMillan. In his rookie season, Seattle reached the NBA Finals but lost to the Chicago Bulls.

In 1997, Snow re-signed with the SuperSonics. He was told he would be the main backup point guard. However, coach George Karl preferred older players. The SuperSonics then signed Greg Anthony, which again made Snow the third-string point guard.

Philadelphia 76ers (1998–2004)

Because he wasn't playing much, Snow was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in January 1998. In Seattle, he played only 4.4 minutes per game. But in Philadelphia, coach Larry Brown gave him a much bigger role. He averaged 18 minutes per game, playing behind Allen Iverson and Brian Shaw.

Snow became a key player for the 76ers. He was known for passing the ball and playing strong defense. He could guard opposing shooting guards, which was perfect for Allen Iverson, who was a great scorer but a smaller shooting guard. His teammates really respected his defense and ball-handling skills.

In his first full season with the Sixers (1998-99), he started every game. He helped the team make the playoffs for the first time in eight years. They upset the Orlando Magic in the first round but then lost to the Indiana Pacers. In the 1999-2000 season, he started 80 games and averaged a career-high 7.6 assists per game. The Sixers won their first playoff series but lost to the Pacers again. Snow played only a few minutes in that series due to an ankle injury.

In the 2000–01 season, Snow missed 32 games with an ankle injury. Still, he was very important in helping the 76ers reach the 2001 NBA Finals. They lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. Even with a fractured ankle, Snow played in all seven games of the Eastern Conference finals and all five NBA Finals games. Kobe Bryant later said that no one defended him better than Snow.

In the 2002–03 season, Snow was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. He started all 82 games for the first time in his career. He had career-high averages in points (12.9), rebounds (3.7), and minutes (37.9). He also shot very well from the free-throw line (85.8%). This was amazing because he was not a good free-throw shooter in college. He also averaged 6.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. The team won their first playoff series but lost in the second round.

In his last season with the Sixers (2003-04), Snow again started all 82 games. He averaged 10.3 points, 6.9 assists, and 3.4 rebounds.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2004–2008)

On July 20, 2004, Eric Snow was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was suspended for one game in December 2004 after an argument with coach Paul Silas. This was the only game Snow missed in his first three years with the Cavaliers. He had a season-high 16 points in January 2005. He also had a season-high 13 assists in April 2005. Snow was known for having a great assist-to-turnover ratio. He even donated money for every steal and assist he made.

Snow played and started all 82 games for the Cavaliers in the 2005–06 season. He helped the team return to the playoffs for the first time since 1998. He was a team captain that season. He started all 13 playoff games. The Cavaliers lost to the Detroit Pistons in seven games in the semifinals.

In his 12th NBA season (2006-2007), Snow was named team co-captain with LeBron James. James showed great respect for Snow's experience and leadership. For the fifth and final time in his career, Snow played in all 82 games. He gradually played less as rookie guard Daniel Gibson took on a bigger role. Snow helped mentor Gibson, just as he mentored LeBron James. The Cavaliers reached the NBA Finals but lost to the San Antonio Spurs.

In his final season (2007-2008), Snow played only 22 games. He had an injury to his left knee that ended his career. After the injury, Snow knew he likely would not play in the NBA again.

Even though he couldn't play, Snow stayed with the Cavaliers. He worked as an unofficial assistant coach for the 2008–09 season. In April 2009, Snow officially retired. He then started working as an analyst for NBA TV and later as a broadcaster for Sixers games.

Career Highlights

During his 13 years in the NBA, Eric Snow reached the NBA Finals three times. He made it once with each team he played for: the SuperSonics in 1996, the 76ers in 2001, and the Cavaliers in 2007. Unfortunately, his teams lost all three times. In Philadelphia and Cleveland, Snow was a team co-captain alongside stars like Allen Iverson and LeBron James.

He played in 846 games, starting 551 of them. He averaged 6.8 points and 5 assists per game. But Snow's true value came from things like his leadership, intelligence, willingness to sacrifice, and tough defense. In 2000, Larry Brown said Snow's defense, unselfishness, and toughness were key to the Sixers' success.

Coaching Career

Eric Snow became an assistant coach for the Texas Legends in the NBA's G League in 2017. By the 2020-2021 season, he was the Legends' associate head coach. Before joining the Legends, Snow was an assistant coach for Florida Atlantic University for two years. Even earlier, he was the director of player development for Southern Methodist University from 2012–2014.

Honors and Awards

Eric Snow has received many awards that show how much people respect his character. In 2005, the Professional Basketball Writers Association gave him the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. He also received the NBA Sportsmanship Award (now called the Joe Dumars Trophy) for the 1999-2000 season. He donated the $12,500 prize to his middle school, which then named its courts the Eric Snow Recreational Area. He also won the Atlantic Division NBA Sportsmanship Award in 1998-99 and donated $10,000 to McKinley High School.

Personal Life

Eric Snow is the younger brother of Percy Snow, who was a linebacker in the NFL. Percy also played at Michigan State University.

Eric married his college girlfriend, Deshawn, in 1998. They later divorced in 2010. They have three sons: Jarren, Darius, and Eric Jr. With his second wife, Carrie, he has three more sons: Noah, Graceson, and Brayden.

While he was still playing in the NBA, Snow ran a basketball camp for children in Canton called the "Shoot for the Moon Foundation." In 2010, Snow wrote a book called "Leading High Performers: The Ultimate Guide to Being a Fast, Fluid and Flexible Leader." In 2012, he donated $1 million to build a YMCA in downtown Canton, which is now named after him.

His son Darius started playing football for Michigan State in 2020. Darius has been named Academic All-Big Ten several times.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: Eric Snow para niños