Rickey Paulding facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 23, 1982 Detroit, Michigan |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | Renaissance (Detroit, Michigan) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 218 lb (99 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Missouri (2000–2004) |
| NBA Draft | 2004 / Round: 2 / Pick: 54th overall |
| Selected by the Detroit Pistons | |
| Pro career | 2004–2022 |
| Career history | |
| 2004–2005 | Hapoel Jerusalem |
| 2005–2006 | ASVEL |
| 2006–2007 | BCM Gravelines |
| 2007–2022 | Oldenburg |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Rickey Paulding (born October 23, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. He was known for his skills as a shooting guard and small forward. Rickey played college basketball for the University of Missouri before starting a long and successful professional career, mostly in Germany.
Contents
Rickey Paulding's Early Career
Rickey Paulding grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He went to Renaissance High School. During his last year of high school, he was an amazing basketball player. He scored about 25 points in every game. He also grabbed 12 rebounds per game. Rickey helped his team win 27 games and lose only 3 that season. He was even named an "All-USA" player, which means he was one of the best high school players in the whole country.
Playing College Hoops
After high school, Rickey went to the University of Missouri to play college basketball. He played there from 2000 to 2004. During his time in college, he scored over 1,200 points. He also got more than 300 rebounds.
One of his most memorable games was during his junior year. He scored an incredible 37 points against Dwyane Wade and the Marquette Golden Eagles. He even made nine three-point shots in that game! Even though his team lost, it was a fantastic performance. Rickey decided to stay for his senior year to keep improving his game.
Becoming a Pro Basketball Player
In 2004, Rickey Paulding was chosen in the 2004 NBA draft. The Detroit Pistons picked him as the 54th player overall in the second round. He played for the Pistons in the NBA Summer League. There, he scored about 12 points per game.
After playing for the Pistons, Rickey went on to have a long career overseas. He played for teams in Israel and France. But he spent most of his professional career, from 2007 to 2022, with EWE Baskets Oldenburg in Germany. He became a legend for that team.
Rickey decided to stop playing professional basketball at the end of the 2021–22 season. He retired after many years of playing at a high level.
Rickey's Amazing Awards and Honors
Rickey Paulding earned many awards and honors throughout his basketball career. He was recognized for his great skills and leadership.
.jpg)
Here are some of his achievements:
- In 2003, he was a finalist for the Wooden Award. This award goes to the best college basketball player.
- He was named to the Second Team All-Big 12 in 2003 and 2004. The Big 12 is a tough college sports conference.
- He scored 36 points in an NCAA Tournament game against Marquette. He also made 9 three-point shots in that game!
- Rickey is the 7th highest scorer in the history of the University of Missouri's basketball team.
- He scored the most points ever against former NBA star Dwyane Wade in a single NCAA game.
- He was a starter for the Northern All-Star Team in the German Basketball Bundesliga All-Star Games multiple times.
- In 2009, he was named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the BBL Finals. This was after he led EWE Baskets Oldenburg to win the league championship.
- He won the "Most Likeable Player" award, also called the Pascal Roller Award, several times in the German Basketball Bundesliga. This shows how much fans and other players liked him.
- His jersey number, 23, was retired by EWE Baskets Oldenburg. This is a huge honor, meaning no other player on that team will ever wear number 23 again because of Rickey's impact.
See also
In Spanish: Rickey Paulding para niños
