Ronnie Lester facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | January 1, 1959 Canton, Mississippi |
|||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||
| High school | Dunbar (Chicago, Illinois) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Iowa (1976–1980) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1980 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1980–1986 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 1980–1984 | Chicago Bulls | |||||||||||||
| 1984–1986 | Los Angeles Lakers | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 1,816 (7.3 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 473 (1.9 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Assists | 1,003 (4.0 apg) | |||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||
Ronnie Lester (born January 1, 1959) is a retired American basketball player and a basketball executive. He was a college star at the University of Iowa, where he was named an All-American. He helped lead Iowa to the Final Four in 1980.
Lester also won a gold medal with the USA Basketball team at the 1979 Pan American Games. He was picked 10th overall in the first round of the 1980 NBA draft. After playing in the NBA, where he won a championship with the 1985 Los Angeles Lakers, Lester became a scout and later an assistant general manager for the Lakers. He spent 24 years with the Lakers, winning seven NBA titles in total. Later, he worked as a scout for the Phoenix Suns.
Contents
Ronnie Lester's Early Life
Ronnie Lester was born on January 1, 1959, in Canton, Mississippi. He grew up in a public housing project in Chicago, Illinois, called Stateway Gardens, near Comiskey Park. His mother, Nadine, raised him and his three sisters. Ronnie went to Dunbar Vocational High School and graduated in 1976.
High School Basketball Career
Ronnie started playing varsity basketball at Dunbar High School when he was a sophomore. At that time, he was 5 feet 6 inches tall. Between his sophomore and junior years, he grew to 6 feet 2 inches! In his junior year, he averaged 10 points and 10 assists per game.
As a senior, Ronnie became a top scorer, averaging 27 points per game. He played with Ken Dancy, who also later became an NBA draft pick. Ronnie led his team, the Dunbar Mighty Men, to the Chicago Public League Championship playoffs.
At first, not many colleges were interested in Ronnie. But during his senior year, coaches like Lute Olson from the University of Iowa started to see his amazing talent. Olson was the first to try and get Ronnie to play for Iowa.
Ronnie said that in his junior year, he focused on passing to his teammates. But in his senior year, he scored a lot more. Iowa was the first school to show a lot of interest in him. He chose Iowa over other schools like Arizona and Louisville. He felt that Iowa really wanted him.
Coach Olson would often drive from Iowa to Chicago to visit Ronnie and his mom. Ronnie felt good about his visit to Iowa. He met the players and felt welcome. He also liked that he would have a chance to play as a freshman.
Ronnie once visited the University of Arizona. Coach Olson remembered that Ronnie called from Arizona and said he didn't want to go there because they had "funny looking trees." He was talking about the Saguaro Cactus!
College and USA Basketball Success (1976-1980)
Ronnie Lester quickly made a big impact at the University of Iowa. He started playing as a freshman and helped the team succeed for all four years. He earned All-American honors in 1979 and was named First Team All-Big Ten in 1978 and 1979. He led the Iowa Hawkeyes to share the 1979 Big Ten title. His team also reached the Final Four in the 1980 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.
As a freshman in 1976–1977, Ronnie averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds. He was the second-highest scorer and led the team in assists. Iowa finished that season with 18 wins and 9 losses.
In his sophomore year (1977–1978), Ronnie averaged 19.9 points, 6.0 assists, and 2.5 rebounds. He was named to the All–Big Ten First Team, alongside famous players like Magic Johnson.
As a junior in 1978–1979, Ronnie averaged 18.7 points, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 rebounds. Iowa won the Big 10 Championship and went to the 1979 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament. Ronnie was again named First Team All–Big 10 and earned All-American honors.
Playing for Team USA (1979)
Ronnie Lester played for the Team USA in 1979. They won all nine of their games and took home the gold medal at the Pan-American Games. Ronnie averaged 10.7 points in the tournament. The team was coached by Bobby Knight and included future Hall of Famers like Isiah Thomas and Kevin McHale.
The 1980 Final Four Team
In the 1979–1980 season, the Iowa team made it to the 48–team NCAA tournament. This was impressive because Ronnie Lester missed a lot of the season due to a knee injury. He got hurt in the seventh game of the season.
Ronnie recalled his injury: "I got a little push to my back, and my knee buckled." He tried to come back, but hurt his knee again. This meant he played only a few Big Ten games that year.
While Ronnie was out, other Iowa players also got hurt. The team was called the "Fabulous Few" because they relied on only a few healthy players. Despite these challenges, Ronnie returned for the end of the regular season. He helped Iowa win key games, and his #12 jersey was retired by Iowa in a special ceremony.
Iowa got into the NCAA Tournament as a #5 seed. Ronnie played well, helping Iowa win against Virginia Commonwealth and North Carolina State. In the Elite Eight, Iowa beat #1 seed Syracuse. Then, in a thrilling game, they defeated Georgetown Hoyas by one point to reach the Final Four.
In the NCAA National Semi–Final, Ronnie injured his knee again just 12 minutes into the game. He had scored 10 of Iowa's first 12 points. He could not return to the game, and Iowa lost to Louisville. Coach Olson believed Iowa could have won the tournament if Ronnie hadn't been injured.
Ronnie said it was frustrating to get hurt, but he was proud of his team's success. He finished his college career with 1675 points and 480 assists. He averaged 16.9 points, 4.8 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game.
Even after coaching many great players, Coach Lute Olson said Ronnie Lester was the best player he ever coached. Hall of Famer Magic Johnson called Ronnie the toughest opponent he ever faced in college.
NBA Career Highlights
Ronnie Lester was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 1980 NBA draft. But he was immediately traded to the Chicago Bulls, where he played for four seasons. Later, he played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1985 to 1986 and won an NBA championship in 1985. His NBA career was often affected by his knee injuries.
Playing for the Chicago Bulls (1980-1984)
On draft day in 1980, the Portland Trail Blazers traded Ronnie Lester to the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls really wanted him, even though other teams were worried about his knee injury.
As a rookie in 1980–1981, Ronnie had knee surgery. He only played in eight games that season. The Bulls made the playoffs but lost to the Boston Celtics.
In 1981–1982, Ronnie had his best professional season. He played in 75 games, averaging 11.6 points, 4.8 assists, and 2.8 rebounds. He played alongside famous players like Artis Gilmore.
He continued to play for the Bulls until 1984.
Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers (1984–1986)
In November 1984, Ronnie Lester signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. He would stay with the Lakers organization for 24 years in different roles. During this time, he was part of seven NBA Championships.
In the 1984–1985 season, Ronnie was a backup to Magic Johnson. He averaged 2.8 points and 2.5 assists in 32 games. The Lakers won the NBA Championship that year, beating the Boston Celtics. Ronnie played in two games during the 1985 NBA Finals.
The 1985–1986 season was Ronnie's last as a player. He played in 27 games. The Lakers lost in the Western Conference Finals that year. In October 1986, the Lakers traded Ronnie to the Seattle SuperSonics, but he was soon released.
Overall, Ronnie played in 250 NBA games over five seasons. He averaged 7.3 points, 4.0 assists, and 1.9 rebounds per game. Ronnie said that playing in the NBA wasn't fun for him because of his knee problems. He couldn't play his best due to swelling and stiffness.
NBA Executive Career
After his playing career, Ronnie Lester started working for the Lakers as a scout in 1987. He later became the team's assistant general manager, a role he held until 2011. As part of the Lakers' front office, he helped the team win six more NBA championships and 10 Western Conference championships.
In 2011, Ronnie left the Lakers. He then worked as a scout for the Phoenix Suns from 2011 to 2015.
Personal Life and Giving Back
When Ronnie Lester first signed with the Chicago Bulls, he bought a home for his mother. Later, he bought an apartment building where they both lived.
In 2009, Ronnie donated $100,000 to the University of Iowa. He asked that the training room in the Carver-Hawkeye Arena be named after John Streif, a longtime Iowa athletic trainer. Ronnie said Streif had been a great friend and supported many athletes for decades.
John Streif said Ronnie was one of the greatest basketball players at Iowa. He also shared a touching story about Ronnie helping his mother move into her new home.
In 2015 and 2016, Ronnie and his former coach, Lute Olson, visited the University of Iowa together. They watched a game and met with fans and former teammates. In 2017, the Chicago Tribune named Ronnie one of the "100 Best Illinois High School Basketball Players Ever."
Ronnie Lester is divorced and has a daughter. Today, he lives in Florida and is "semi-retired."
Supporting Teammates: The Kenny Arnold Story
Ronnie Lester and his Iowa teammates, along with Coach Lute Olson and fans, helped their friend and teammate Kenny Arnold. Kenny was a key player on the 1980 Final Four team. He was diagnosed with brain cancer in 1985, and his health needs continued for many years.
In 2005, Ronnie flew to Chicago to drive Kenny to a 25-year reunion event in Iowa City. Later that year, Coach Olson arranged for Kenny to get treatment in Arizona. Ronnie and another teammate, Mike Henry, went with Kenny to the hospital visit. Mike Henry also helped set up a foundation to cover Kenny's medical costs. Ronnie's Iowa teammates call themselves "Teammates for Life." Ronnie hosted events to support the Kenny Arnold Foundation. Kenny Arnold passed away in April 2019 at age 59.
Honors and Achievements
- In 1980, the University of Iowa retired Ronnie Lester's #12 jersey.
- He was inducted into the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995.
- Ronnie was also inducted into the Des Moines Sunday Register's Iowa Sports Hall of Fame.
See also
In Spanish: Ronnie Lester para niños
