Rickey Paulding facts for kids

Rickey Paulding (born October 23, 1982) is a retired American professional basketball player. He is famous for his amazing college career at the University of Missouri and his legendary 15-year career playing in Germany.

Early Life and High School Stardom

Rickey Paulding grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and went to Renaissance High School. He was a star player on the basketball team. In his final year, he was an incredible scorer, averaging over 25 points per game. He also grabbed about 12 rebounds in each game.

His skill helped lead his team to a fantastic 27–3 record. Because he was so good, he was named an honorable mention All-USA player, which means he was recognized as one of the top high school players in the entire country.

College Basketball Career

After high school, Paulding played college basketball for the Missouri Tigers from 2000 to 2004. He became one of the team's best players. Over his four years, he scored more than 1,200 points and had over 300 rebounds.

Famous Tournament Game

One of his most famous games was during his junior year in the NCAA tournament. The Tigers played against the Marquette Golden Eagles, a team that featured future NBA superstar Dwyane Wade. Even though his team lost, Paulding had an unbelievable performance. He scored 37 points and made an amazing nine three-point shots. This was the most points anyone ever scored against Dwyane Wade in a single college game.

After this great season, Paulding decided to stay for his senior year to continue playing for Missouri.

Professional Basketball Journey

In the 2004 NBA draft, Paulding was chosen by the Detroit Pistons. The NBA draft is how professional teams in the United States select new players from college. He played for the Pistons in the NBA Summer League and played well, averaging over 12 points per game.

However, Paulding spent most of his professional career playing in Europe. He played for teams in Israel and France before finding a long-term home in Germany.

A Legend in Germany

In 2007, Paulding joined the EWE Baskets Oldenburg, a team in Germany's top league, the Basketball Bundesliga. He played for this team for 15 seasons, from 2007 until he retired in 2022. He became a club legend and one of the most respected players in the league.

With Oldenburg, Paulding achieved great success:

• Championship Winner: In 2009, he led the team to win the German league championship. He was so important to their victory that he was named the Finals MVP (Most Valuable Player).
• All-Star Player: He was chosen as a German All-Star eight times. This means he was consistently one of the best players in the league.
• Top Scorer: He was selected to the All-Bundesliga First Team four times and the Second Team four times, recognizing him as one of the top players at his position.
• Fan Favorite: He was also very popular with the fans. He won the "Most Likeable Player" award four times during his career.

After an amazing career, Paulding decided to retire from professional basketball at the end of the 2021–22 season.

Honors and Legacy

The EWE Arena in Oldenburg was nicknamed "Pauldingburg" to honor Rickey Paulding's amazing career with the team.

Paulding is remembered as a fantastic scorer and a dedicated player. His college performance against Marquette is still talked about today. At the University of Missouri, he is the 7th highest scorer in the school's history.

In Germany, his impact was so huge that the EWE Baskets Oldenburg retired his jersey number, 23. This is a special honor that means no other player for the team can wear that number again. The team's home arena was even nicknamed "Pauldingburg" in his honor, showing how much he meant to the city and the club.

See also

In Spanish: Rickey Paulding para niños