Ron Mercer facts for kids

Ronald Eugene Mercer (born May 18, 1976) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He played for many teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Ron Mercer's career ended in 2005 with the New Jersey Nets.

Ron Mercer's Basketball Journey

Starting Out: High School Star

Ron Mercer was a top high school basketball player. He was named "Mr. Basketball" of Tennessee twice. This award recognized him as the best high school player in the state. He played at Goodpasture Christian School in Madison, Tennessee.

Later, he moved to Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. A famous scout, Bob Gibbons, said Ron was the best high school player in his class of 1995.

College Success at Kentucky

Ron Mercer had a very successful time playing college basketball. He played for the University of Kentucky. During his first year, his team won the national championship in 1996.

He was also named an All-American player. This means he was one of the best college players in the country. He was also an all-Southeastern Conference player. This recognized him as one of the best in his college league.

Playing in the NBA

Joining the Boston Celtics

In 1997, Ron Mercer was chosen as the sixth player in the 1997 NBA draft. The Boston Celtics picked him. This meant he got to play with his former Kentucky teammate, Antoine Walker. His college coach, Rick Pitino, also became the Celtics' coach.

Before the draft, Coach Pitino had said he didn't think Mercer would be picked very high. Some people thought this was a trick. They believed Pitino wanted other teams to ignore Mercer. This would make it easier for the Celtics to draft him. It turned out that this plan worked!

Moving to Denver and Orlando

After playing two seasons with the Celtics, Mercer was traded in 1999. He went to the Denver Nuggets along with Popeye Jones and Dwayne Schintzius. In return, the Celtics received Danny Fortson, Eric Williams, Eric Washington, and a future draft pick.

Mercer played 37 games for the Nuggets during the 1999–2000 NBA season. Later that same season, he was traded again. He finished the season playing 31 games for the Orlando Magic.

Time with the Chicago Bulls

After the 1999-2000 season, Mercer signed with the Chicago Bulls as a free agent. In his first year with the Bulls, he played very well. He averaged 19.7 points per game.

This was the highest average points per game in his entire career. He was also the second-highest scorer on the Bulls team that year.

Playing for the Indiana Pacers

In the middle of the 2001–02 season, Mercer was traded again. Even though he was averaging 16.8 points per game, he moved to the Indiana Pacers. He was traded with Brad Miller, Ron Artest, and Kevin Ollie. In exchange, the Bulls received Jalen Rose, Travis Best, Norman Richardson, and a draft pick.

In Indiana, Mercer mostly played as a reserve player. This means he came off the bench instead of starting games. His performance declined during his time with the Pacers.

Short Stint with the San Antonio Spurs

Before the 2003–04 NBA season, Mercer was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. This was a three-team trade that also involved Brad Miller and Hedo Türkoğlu from the Sacramento Kings.

Mercer played 39 games for the Spurs. After that, he was released from the team.

Final Team: New Jersey Nets

Before the 2004–05 NBA season, Mercer signed with his seventh NBA team. He joined the New Jersey Nets. On August 15, 2005, the Nets decided to release him. They did this to avoid paying a special "luxury tax" related to new league rules.

See also

In Spanish: Ron Mercer para niños