Trent Tucker facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 20, 1959 Tarboro, North Carolina, U.S. |
| High school | Flint Northwestern (Flint, Michigan) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 193 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Minnesota (1978–1982) |
| NBA Draft | 1982 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall |
| Selected by the New York Knicks | |
| Pro career | 1982–1993 |
| Career history | |
| 1982–1991 | New York Knicks |
| 1992 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1992–1993 | Chicago Bulls |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 6,236 (8.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,520 (2.0 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,532 (2.0 apg) |
Kelvin Trent Tucker (born December 20, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He played for eleven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Trent Tucker was a shooting guard, standing 6 feet 5 inches tall. He was known for his three-point shooting skills. He played college basketball at the University of Minnesota from 1978 to 1982. In his final year, he helped his team win the Big Ten Conference championship.
Trent's NBA Journey
Trent Tucker was picked by the New York Knicks as the 6th overall player in the 1982 NBA draft. In his very first NBA game on November 30, 1982, he scored 17 points in one quarter! This was more than the entire opposing team, the Utah Jazz, scored in that same quarter.
Trent was one of the first players to specialize in shooting three-pointers. He even took part in the first-ever Three-point Shootout in 1986. He made it to the semifinals, competing against famous players like Larry Bird.
Trent played nine seasons with the Knicks. After that, he joined the San Antonio Spurs in 1991 for one season. His final team was the Chicago Bulls in 1992. With the Bulls, he helped them win the 1993 NBA Championship. He retired after this amazing season. During his career, he scored 6,237 points and made 1,532 assists.
The "Trent Tucker Rule"
On January 15, 1990, something unusual happened in a game between the Knicks and the Chicago Bulls. There was only 0.1 second left on the clock. Trent Tucker quickly shot a three-pointer, and it went in! The shot counted, and the Knicks won the game.
The Bulls' coach, Phil Jackson, was very upset about this. Because of this play, the NBA created a new rule right away. This rule is now known as the "Trent Tucker Rule." It says that a player needs at least 0.3 seconds on the clock to take a regular shot. If there is less than 0.3 seconds, only a quick tip-in or a high lob shot can count.
Life After Basketball
After Trent Tucker stopped playing basketball, he became a broadcast analyst. He worked for Minnesota Timberwolves basketball games. He also worked for KFAN radio.
Trent is also a philanthropist. This means he works to help others. In 1998, he started his own non-profit organization called the Trent Tucker Non-Profit Organization. On April 15, 2013, Trent became the Director of District Athletics for the Minneapolis Public School District in Minnesota. He later resigned from this role in 2018.
