Ron Harper facts for kids
Harper in 2016
|
||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | January 20, 1964 Dayton, Ohio, U.S. |
|||||||||||||
| High school | Kiser (Dayton, Ohio) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 214 lb (97 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Miami (Ohio) (1982–1986) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1986 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1986–2001 | |||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 2005–2007 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||
| 1986–1989 | Cleveland Cavaliers | |||||||||||||
| 1989–1994 | Los Angeles Clippers | |||||||||||||
| 1994–1999 | Chicago Bulls | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Los Angeles Lakers | |||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Detroit Pistons (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 13,910 (13.8 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 4,309 (4.3 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Assist | 3,915 (3.9 apg) | |||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||
Ronald Harper Sr. (born January 20, 1964) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He played for four different teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1986 to 2001. Ron Harper is famous for winning five NBA championships during his career.
Contents
Early Life and High School
Ronald Harper Sr. was born on January 20, 1964, in Dayton, Ohio. He was the youngest of six children. His mother worked hard at several jobs to support their family.
Ron first went to Belmont High School in Dayton. He didn't make the freshman team and didn't play basketball as a sophomore. Later, he moved to Kiser High School in Dayton. In his senior year, he was an amazing player. He scored 20.5 points, grabbed 13.4 rebounds, and had five assists, five steals, and six blocked shots per game. He was named first-team All-Ohio. Ron graduated from Kiser High School in 1982.
Today, the Kiser High School building is an elementary school. In 2006, the school's gym was named after Ron Harper in a special ceremony.
College Basketball Career
Harper became a star player at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He played there for four seasons, from 1982 to 1986.
In his first year, he scored 12.8 points per game. He also led his team in rebounds with 7.0 per game. By his second year, he was the team's top scorer with 16.3 points per game. Miami University won the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship that year.
During his junior year, Ron had his best season. He scored 24.9 points and grabbed 10.7 rebounds per game. He also led the team in steals. He was named the MAC Player of the Year.
In his senior year, Ron set a Miami and MAC tournament record. He scored 45 points in one game! He also grabbed 18 rebounds in that game. He became the first MAC player ever to get a "triple-double" with 38 points, 19 rebounds, and 12 assists in one game. He was again named MAC Player of the Year. He was also recognized as a second-team All-American.
Ron Harper is Miami University's all-time leading scorer with 2,377 points. He also holds the record for most rebounds with 1,119. He was the first player in MAC history to score over 2,000 points and grab over 1,000 rebounds. In 1986, his jersey number 34 was retired by Miami University. This was a big honor!
Professional Basketball Career
Cleveland Cavaliers (1986–1989)
The Cleveland Cavaliers picked Ron Harper as the eighth player in the 1986 NBA draft. He started his NBA career on November 1, 1986. In his first season, he played in all 82 games. He averaged 22.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. He finished second in the voting for Rookie of the Year.
In his second season, Ron had an ankle injury. This limited him to playing in only 57 games. The Cavaliers made it to the playoffs, but they lost to the Chicago Bulls. The next season, he played all 82 games again. The Cavaliers made the playoffs once more. They lost to the Bulls again in a very close game, known for "The Shot" by Michael Jordan.
Los Angeles Clippers (1989–1994)
In November 1989, Ron Harper was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. He played only 28 games that season because of a serious knee injury. Despite the injury, he still averaged 22.8 points per game.
He slowly recovered and played more games in the following seasons. By the 1991–92 season, he was back to playing all 82 games. He averaged 18.2 points per game. The Clippers made the playoffs that year. In 1992–93, he was named a co-captain of the team. He continued to play well, and the Clippers made the playoffs again.
In his last full season with the Clippers (1993–94), he averaged 20.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. He even had a "triple-double" with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in one game.
Chicago Bulls (1994–1999)
In 1994, Ron Harper joined the Chicago Bulls. This was after Michael Jordan had retired for the first time. When Jordan returned, Harper found a new role on the team. He became a strong defender and a good ball handler. Fans loved him for his hard work.
In his first year with the Bulls (1994–95), his scoring went down. However, his team made it past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in his career.
The 1995–96 season was amazing for the Bulls. With Ron Harper playing a key role, the team had a record of 72 wins and only 10 losses. This was the best record in NBA history at the time! The Bulls, led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, went on to win the NBA championship. This was Ron Harper's first championship ring.
The Bulls continued their success. In 1996–97, they won another NBA championship. In 1997–98, Ron Harper started all 82 games for the Bulls. They won their third straight NBA championship, giving Ron his third ring.
Harper played one more season with the Bulls in 1998–99. After Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen left, the team struggled. Ron still played well, averaging 11.2 points per game.
Los Angeles Lakers (1999–2001)
In 1999, Ron Harper signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. He reunited with his former Bulls coach, Phil Jackson. He played a similar role for the Lakers, focusing on defense and ball handling.
In the 1999–2000 season, Harper started most games. The Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, had the best record in the league. They went on to win the NBA championship. Ron Harper earned his fourth championship ring.
The 2000–2001 season was Ron Harper's last in the NBA. He played fewer games due to injuries. However, the Lakers made it to the NBA Finals again. They won their second straight championship. This gave Ron Harper his fifth NBA championship ring in just six years!
Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986–87 | Cleveland | 82 | 82 | 37.4 | .455 | .213 | .684 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 22.9 |
| 1987–88 | Cleveland | 52 | 52 | 32.1 | .464 | .150 | .705 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 2.1 | .9 | 15.4 |
| 1988–89 | Cleveland | 82 | 82 | 34.8 | .511 | .250 | .751 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 2.3 | .9 | 18.6 |
| 1989–90 | Cleveland | 7 | 7 | 37.4 | .442 | .200 | .756 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 22.0 |
| 1989–90 | L.A. Clippers | 28 | 28 | 39.5 | .481 | .283 | .795 | 5.6 | 4.8 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 23.0 |
| 1990–91 | L.A. Clippers | 39 | 34 | 35.5 | .391 | .324 | .668 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 1.7 | .9 | 19.6 |
| 1991–92 | L.A. Clippers | 82 | 82 | 38.3 | .440 | .303 | .736 | 5.5 | 5.1 | 1.9 | .9 | 18.2 |
| 1992–93 | L.A. Clippers | 80 | 77 | 37.1 | .451 | .280 | .769 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 2.2 | .9 | 18.0 |
| 1993–94 | L.A. Clippers | 75 | 75 | 38.1 | .426 | .301 | .715 | 6.1 | 4.6 | 1.9 | .7 | 20.1 |
| 1994–95 | Chicago | 77 | 53 | 19.9 | .426 | .282 | .618 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.3 | .4 | 6.9 |
| 1995–96† | Chicago | 80 | 80 | 23.6 | .467 | .269 | .705 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 1.3 | .4 | 7.4 |
| 1996–97† | Chicago | 76 | 74 | 22.9 | .436 | .362 | .707 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.1 | .5 | 6.3 |
| 1997–98† | Chicago | 82* | 82* | 27.9 | .441 | .190 | .750 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 1.3 | .6 | 9.3 |
| 1998–99 | Chicago | 35 | 35 | 31.6 | .377 | .318 | .703 | 5.1 | 3.3 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 11.2 |
| 1999–00† | L.A. Lakers | 80 | 78 | 25.5 | .399 | .311 | .680 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 1.1 | .5 | 7.0 |
| 2000–01† | L.A. Lakers | 47 | 46 | 24.2 | .469 | .264 | .708 | 3.5 | 2.4 | .5 | .5 | 6.5 |
| Career | 1009 | 967 | 30.9 | .446 | .289 | .720 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 1.7 | .7 | 13.8 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Cleveland | 4 | 4 | 33.5 | .476 | .000 | .688 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 17.8 |
| 1989 | Cleveland | 5 | 5 | 37.8 | .565 | .000 | .769 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 2.2 | .8 | 19.6 |
| 1992 | L.A. Clippers | 5 | 5 | 41.2 | .448 | .111 | .786 | 6.4 | 4.6 | 1.0 | .8 | 18.0 |
| 1993 | L.A. Clippers | 5 | 5 | 34.8 | .474 | .500 | .647 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 18.0 |
| 1995 | Chicago | 6 | 0 | 6.7 | .429 | .000 | .000 | 1.0 | .7 | .5 | .2 | 2.0 |
| 1996† | Chicago | 18 | 16 | 27.4 | .425 | .319 | .690 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 1.4 | .4 | 8.8 |
| 1997† | Chicago | 19 | 19 | 27.1 | .400 | .344 | .750 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 1.3 | .7 | 7.5 |
| 1998† | Chicago | 21 | 21 | 26.8 | .459 | .263 | .615 | 3.7 | 2.3 | 1.0 | .9 | 6.7 |
| 2000† | L.A. Lakers | 23 | 23 | 28.0 | .431 | .231 | .702 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 1.0 | .6 | 8.6 |
| 2001† | L.A. Lakers | 6 | 0 | 7.0 | .500 | .250 | .667 | 1.3 | .7 | .7 | .2 | 2.2 |
| Career | 112 | 98 | 26.8 | .450 | .292 | .698 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 1.3 | .7 | 9.0 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982–83 | Miami (OH) | 28 | – | 31.7 | .497 | – | .674 | 7.0 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 12.9 |
| 1983–84 | Miami (OH) | 30 | – | 33.0 | .537 | – | .570 | 7.6 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 16.3 |
| 1984–85 | Miami (OH) | 31 | – | 36.9 | .541 | – | .661 | 10.7 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 24.9 |
| 1985–86 | Miami (OH) | 31 | – | 36.9 | .545 | – | .665 | 11.7 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 2.3 | 24.4 |
| Career | 120 | – | 34.7 | .534 | – | .642 | 9.3 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 19.8 | |
Life After Playing
Coaching Career
In 2005, Ron Harper became an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons. He worked with the team for two years.
Media Appearances
Ron Harper appeared on the Nickelodeon show Kenan & Kel in 1997. He was in an episode called "Foul Bull."
Personal Life
Ron Harper has worked to help others who have stuttering, a speech challenge he has faced most of his life. He supports the National Stuttering Association.
Ron is also a father to two NBA players, Ron Harper Jr. and Dylan Harper. Dylan was picked second overall in the 2025 NBA draft. Ron Harper is also the godfather to R. J. Hunter.
See also
In Spanish: Ron Harper para niños
- List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders
- List of National Basketball Association single-game steals leaders
- List of National Basketball Association top rookie scoring averages
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds
