Ronnie Price facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ronnie Price

Price with the Phoenix Suns in 2015
Phoenix Suns
Scout
Personal information
Born	(1983-06-21) June 21, 1983 (age 42) Friendswood, Texas
Nationality	American
High school	Clear Brook (Friendswood, Texas)
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
College	Nicholls (2001–2002) Utah Valley (2002–2005)
NBA Draft	2005 / Undrafted
Pro career	2005–2017
League	NBA
Career history
2005–2007	Sacramento Kings
2007–2011	Utah Jazz
2011–2012	Phoenix Suns
2012–2013	Portland Trail Blazers
2013–2014	Orlando Magic
2014–2015	Los Angeles Lakers
2015–2017	Phoenix Suns
Career highlights and awards
NCAA Independent Player of the Year (2005) 2× NCAA All-Independent Team (2004, 2005)
Career NBA statistics
Points	2,015 (3.7 ppg)
Rebounds	658 (1.2 rpg)
Assists	960 (1.8 apg)

Ronald D'Wayne Price (born June 21, 1983) is an American who used to play professional basketball. He is now a scout for the Phoenix Suns team.

Ronnie Price grew up in Friendswood, Texas. He played college basketball for one year at Nicholls State and three years at Utah Valley. Even though he was not chosen in the 2005 NBA draft, he still joined the Sacramento Kings in 2005. He played for them until 2007. After that, he played for several other teams. These included the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Orlando Magic, and Los Angeles Lakers. He then returned to the Phoenix Suns for his last time playing.

Early Life and College Basketball

Ronnie Price was born and grew up in Friendswood, Texas. He finished Clear Brook High School in 2001. He was a good student with a 3.4 grade point average. When he was a senior, he was only 5 feet 7 inches tall. This was considered small for a basketball player. Because of his height, he did not get any basketball scholarships from colleges.

In 2001, Price went to Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. He joined the Colonels basketball team as a walk-on. This means he joined without a scholarship. By the start of his first year, he had grown to 6 feet tall. He scored an average of 11.3 points per game. By the end of his first year, he was 6 feet 1 inch tall. Price then moved to Utah Valley State College (now Utah Valley University) in Orem, Utah.

Playing at Utah Valley

As a second-year student (2002–03), Price scored 15.3 points per game. He earned an Honorable Mention award in the NJCAA Region 18. The next year, UVSC became a four-year university. Price decided to stay as the school moved to NCAA Division I basketball.

He got even better in his third year (2003–04). He scored 20.2 points per game. He helped the Wolverines win the Division I Provisional Championship. This meant they beat other schools that were also moving to Division I. The Wolverines ended that season with a great record of 23 wins and 5 losses. Price scored his highest points in a game twice that season, with 37 points each time.

In his final year (2004–05), Price averaged 24.3 points per game. This was the third-highest in the nation. However, it was not official because Utah Valley was still a provisional Division I member. For his excellent play, he was named Division I Independent Player of the Year. He finished his senior year with a fantastic game. He scored 36 points (27 in the second half) in a 71–52 win over Northern Colorado.

Ronnie Price was honored by Utah Valley University on February 4, 2010. He was added to their Hall of Fame.

Professional Basketball Career

Sacramento Kings (2005–2007)

After the 2005 NBA draft, Ronnie Price worked out with the Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons. He was not chosen in the draft. However, on August 3, 2005, Price signed a two-year contract with the Sacramento Kings. He was the first player from Utah Valley University to join the NBA directly.

In his first year, he did not play much. He played in 29 games. He averaged 5.2 minutes and 2.1 points per game. On December 22, against the Dallas Mavericks, he scored 11 points. This was his only game that season with double-digit points.

In the 2006–07 season, Price played more often. He was in 58 games and started one. He averaged 9.7 minutes, 3.3 points, and 1.2 rebounds. On November 22, 2006, he scored a career-high 16 points against the Utah Jazz. He even had a great dunk over Carlos Boozer. NBA.com experts called it one of the best plays of the season. Price started his first NBA game on December 5 against the Phoenix Suns. He scored 2 points in 13 minutes.

Utah Jazz (2007–2011)

Ronnie Price playing for the Utah Jazz in 2008

In July 2007, Price signed a contract with the Utah Jazz. He began the season as the third-string point guard. This meant he was behind Deron Williams and Jason Hart. Price later became the main backup for Williams. In the 2007–08 season, he played in 61 games. He averaged 3.7 points per game.

He made highlight reels again in the 2008 NBA Playoffs. In game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers, he had an amazing block on Luke Walton. Walton seemed to be going for an easy layup or dunk. But Price quickly caught up and blocked him strongly. This was impressive because Walton was taller than Price. Price had also received four stitches above his right eye earlier in that same game.

Phoenix Suns (2011–2012)

On December 13, 2011, Price signed a one-year contract with the Phoenix Suns. He joined the team to replace Zabian Dowdell. He started 8 of the 36 games he played. He averaged 3.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.9 steals. Price scored double-digit points in three games. His season-high was 18 points on January 13 against the New Jersey Nets.

Portland Trail Blazers (2012–2013)

On July 18, 2012, Price signed with the Portland Trail Blazers. He played 39 games for Portland in the 2012–13 season. He averaged 2.7 points, 1.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.7 steals. On February 21, 2013, the Trail Blazers released Price. This was to make space on their team for Eric Maynor.

Orlando Magic (2013–2014)

On July 25, 2013, Price signed with the Orlando Magic. He was released by the Magic on July 2, 2014.

Los Angeles Lakers (2014–2015)

On September 24, 2014, Price signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. On December 7, 2014, Price began starting games instead of Jeremy Lin. On February 24, 2015, Price had surgery on his right elbow. This was to remove a bone spur. Because of this, he could not play for the rest of the 2014–15 season.

While with the Lakers, Price achieved his best career numbers. He averaged 5.1 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. In a pre-season game that year, he was removed from the game. This happened after his shoe came off and he threw it at the basketball.

Return to Phoenix (2015–2017)

On July 17, 2015, Price signed a one-year deal to return to the Phoenix Suns. He was now a third-string point guard. This meant he was behind younger players like Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight. He took on a part-time role to help mentor the younger players.

On December 23, 2015, Price made a career-high six three-pointers. He also scored a career-high 20 points in a game against the Denver Nuggets. On January 15, 2016, he had surgery on his right big toe. He was out for a month. He returned to play on February 19 against the Houston Rockets. Price played in a career-high 62 games for the Suns in 2015–16. He also scored a career-high 5.3 points per game.

On August 14, 2016, Price signed a two-year deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, the Thunder released him on October 24, 2016. He had played in five pre-season games for them. On January 27, 2017, Price returned to the Suns on a 10-day contract. He signed a second 10-day contract on February 6, 2017. He had not played in a game during his first contract. He made his season debut four days later. He played two minutes in a 115–97 win over the Chicago Bulls. On February 24, 2017, he signed with the Suns for the rest of the season.

Scouting Career

During the 2018-19 NBA season, the Suns hired Price to work in their new scouting department. This happened after they had let go of most of their old staff. This new job meant that Price had officially retired from playing professional basketball.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: Ronnie Price para niños