Rory Sparrow facts for kids
Sparrow speaks at Manute Bol's funeral in June 2010
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| No. 34, 2 | |
|---|---|
| Point guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 12, 1958 Suffolk, Virginia, U.S. |
| High school | Eastside (Paterson, New Jersey) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Villanova (1976–1980) |
| NBA Draft | 1980 / Round: 4 / Pick: 75th overall |
| Selected by the New Jersey Nets | |
| Pro career | 1980–1992 |
| Career history | |
| 1980 | Scranton Aces |
| 1980–1981 | New Jersey Nets |
| 1981–1983 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1983–1987 | New York Knicks |
| 1987–1988 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1988–1990 | Miami Heat |
| 1990–1991 | Sacramento Kings |
| 1991 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1991–1992 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 7,557 (9.0 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,755 (2.1 rpg) |
| Assists | 4,192 (5.0 apg) |
Rory Darnell Sparrow (born June 12, 1958) is an American former professional basketball player. He played for many years in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Rory was born in Suffolk, Virginia. He went to Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey. He was one of the first people to be added to his high school's Hall of Fame.
He played college basketball at Villanova University. During his time there, he scored 1,183 points and made 495 assists. Rory was known for making game-winning shots. He made five of these shots in the last ten seconds of a game!
Sparrow was a 6-foot-2-inch guard. The New Jersey Nets picked him in the 1980 NBA Draft. He was the 75th player chosen overall. Rory played for seven different NBA teams during his 12-year career. These teams included the Nets, Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, and Los Angeles Lakers. He retired after the 1991-92 season. In 1988, he scored the very first points for the Miami Heat team when it was brand new.
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Rory Sparrow's NBA Journey
Rory Sparrow played in the NBA for 12 years. He was known as a very steady and reliable guard. He had some of his best years playing for the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks. Later, he became one of the first players for the new Miami Heat team.
Starting His Professional Career
Rory's NBA career began in a humble way. After college, the New Jersey Nets drafted him. But the Nets let him go during training camp. So, Rory played in a different league called the Continental Basketball Association. He played for the Scranton Aces.
While with the Aces, he averaged 24.1 points and 9.0 assists per game. The Nets called him back twice during the 1980–81 season. He played in 15 NBA games that year.
Playing for the Hawks and Knicks
Before the 1981–82 season, the Nets traded Rory to the Atlanta Hawks. His coach, Kevin Loughery, made him a starting point guard right away. Rory played in all 82 games that season. He averaged 10.5 points and 5.2 assists per game.
During the next season, Atlanta traded Rory to the New York Knicks. He stayed with the Knicks for five years. This was a time of great success for him. In the 1983–84 season, the Knicks had a good record. They won their first playoff series. Rory averaged 10.4 points and 6.8 assists in the regular season. He also scored 11.2 points per game in the playoffs.
The next year, he set a career high with 7.1 assists per game. In the 1985–86 season, he averaged 10.8 points and 6.4 assists.
Helping the Community
While playing in New York, Rory started the Rory F. Sparrow Foundation. This charity helped children in need in the New York area. In 1986, he won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. This award honors players who do great community work.
In 1987, Rory was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. He was one of eight "Athletes Who Care." The magazine honored them as Sportsmen and Sportswomen of the Year. This showed how much he cared about helping others.
Later Career and Retirement
In the 1987–88 season, the Knicks traded Rory to the Chicago Bulls. He played as a backup to Michael Jordan. Before the 1988–89 season, he joined the Miami Heat. On November 5, 1988, Rory scored the first points in Heat history. He averaged a career-high 12.5 points that year.
In his second season with the Heat, he played a backup role. Before the 1990–91 season, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings. He played well there, scoring 10.4 points per game. Rory split his last season (1991–92) between the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers. He retired at age 34.
In total, Rory scored 7,557 points in his career. He averaged 9.0 points per game. After retiring from playing, he started working for the NBA league office in 1994. He became a player programs manager.
See also
In Spanish: Rory Sparrow para niños
