Rod Strickland
Encyclopedia
Rodney "Rod" Strickland (born July 11, 1966, in The Bronx
, New York
) is a retired American
professional basketball
player and currently in an administrative role for the University of Kentucky
basketball team
under head coach John Calipari
. Strickland was formerly the director of basketball operations at the University of Memphis
. He is also the godfather of 2011 NBA Draft first overall pick Kyrie Irving.
in Co-Op City to the state championship and was ranked as one of the top 10 high school recruits in the nation. As a senior he transferred to Oak Hill Academy
in Virginia
.
where he appeared in 87 games. As a junior, he was a First Team All-America
n after averaging 20.0 points and 7.8 assists. A 1987 and 1988 All-America pick, Strickland helped lead the Blue Demons to four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1985–88, including Sweet Sixteen showings in 1986 and 1987. The four-time Blue Demon letterwinner ranks among the program's career leaders in scoring average (8th; 16.6 ppg), assists (3rd; 557) and steals (2nd; 204). He also averaged 3.4 rebounds while shooting 53.4% during his college career.
by his hometown New York Knicks
where he backed up point guard
Mark Jackson
, the 1988
NBA Rookie of the Year
. He was seen as sort of an odd choice by some observers since the Knicks had Jackson. Nevertheless, Jackson and Strickland shared time that season. Strickland played in all 82 games and averaged 8.9 points and 3.9 assists in 16.8 minutes per game where he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
Knowing that having both Jackson and Strickland play for the same position would not work, the Knicks dealt Strickland to the San Antonio Spurs
for veteran Maurice Cheeks
in the middle of the 1989-1990 season
. Strickland flourished in San Antonio, as the Spurs went 18-6 with him in the starting lineup. He led the club in assists 26 times and averaged 12.3 points and 11.2 assists in 10 playoff
games. However, Strickland was widely criticized for his play down the stretch in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals versus the Portland Trail Blazers, in which he threw an errant no-look pass and then intentionally fouled the Trail Blazers' Clyde Drexler
, costing the Spurs the game.
In the 1990-91 season Strickland lived up to his expectations as an exciting performer when he was healthy. He missed 24 games that year because of a sore ankle and a broken bone in his right hand. In the 58 games he played, Strickland averaged 13.8 points and 8.0 assists, shooting .482 from the field and .763 from the free throw
line. He led the Spurs in assists 46 times and in steals 30 times. Strickland finished the year tied with Terry Porter
for 12th in the NBA in assists. And in a four-game series loss to the Golden State Warriors
in the first round of the 1991 NBA Playoffs
, he posted terrific numbers: 18.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 2.25 steals in 42.0 minutes per game.
Starting the 1991-92 NBA season
in a contract dispute with the Spurs management, Strickland didn't play in the first 24 games of the season. He finally signed on December 23, then started 54 of 57 games and averaged 13.8 points, 8.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.07 steals in 36.0 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 48 times and scored 20 or more points on eight occasions. He notched a then career-high 28 points against the Indiana Pacers
on February 6 and made a career-high 19 assists versus the Minnesota Timberwolves
on March 3. Strickland started two playoff games against the Phoenix Suns
before missing the third with a broken bone in his left hand. The Suns swept the series in three games.
Before the start of the 1992-93 season, Strickland signed as a free agent with the Portland Trail Blazers
. In four seasons with the Blazers, Strickland averaged 17 ppg and 8.6 apg.
In a move that initially helped both franchises, Strickland and teammate Harvey Grant
were traded to the Washington Bullets for Rasheed Wallace
and Mitchell Butler
in 1996. In his first season in Washington, Strickland averaged 17.2 ppg and 8.9 apg helping the Bullets make the playoffs in 1997 for the first time in 8 seasons.
In 1997-98, Strickland had the best season of his career as he averaged 17.8 ppg and a league leading 10.5 apg. During the year, Strickland also became only the 25th player in NBA history to record 10,000 points and 5,000 assists. Though he was selected to the All-NBA second team, the newly renamed Wizards failed to make the playoffs. It was during this time that Strickland got upset about not being selected to play in the All Star Game and stated that if selected next year, he will refuse to play. Strickland has never been selected as an All Star throughout his career. While his individual stats improved over the next few seasons for the Wizards, the team got worse, leading to a buyout of his contract.
Strickland would go on to spend time with the Miami Heat
, Minnesota Timberwolves
, Orlando Magic
, Toronto Raptors
, and the Houston Rockets
to conclude his NBA career. He played in 1,094 games and scored over 14,000 points (13.2 career average) and dished out nearly 8,000 assists (7.3 career average). He also ranked among the NBA's top 10 in assists in 1991-92 (5th), 1993-94 (6th), 1994-95 (5th), 1995-96 (4th), 1996-97 (5th), 1997-98 (1st), and 1998-99 (2nd).
In 1,094 NBA games (740 starts), Strickland averaged 13.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 30:44 of floor time per game.
, taking over the job held by former NBA player, Milt Wagner
.
In September 2008, Strickland was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame along with NBA stars Kenny Anderson
and Sam Perkins
, coach Pete Gillen
and pioneers Lou Bender
and Eddie Younger.
In the early hours of April 11, 2010, Strickland was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving without insurance, driving with no registration tags and disregarding a traffic device. This was Strickland's fourth DUI arrest.
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
) is a retired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and currently in an administrative role for the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
basketball team
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
under head coach John Calipari
John Calipari
John Calipari is an American basketball coach. Since April 2009, he has been the men's head coach at the University of Kentucky....
. Strickland was formerly the director of basketball operations at the University of Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
. He is also the godfather of 2011 NBA Draft first overall pick Kyrie Irving.
High school career
A native of the Bronx, Strickland played for the New York Gauchos. While a junior he led Truman High SchoolHarry S. Truman High School (New York City)
Harry S Truman High School is a public high school at 750 Baychester Avenue, in the Bronx, New York City, United States. The school is designated as an Empowerment School by the New York City Department of Education, which allows it more autonomy in choosing a curriculum...
in Co-Op City to the state championship and was ranked as one of the top 10 high school recruits in the nation. As a senior he transferred to Oak Hill Academy
Oak Hill Academy (Virginia)
Oak Hill Academy is a co-educational, private Baptist-affiliated secondary school in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, United States. Oak Hill's enrollment of approximately 150 students is 98% boarders, serving grades 8–12...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
College career
Strickland became a college star at DePaul UniversityDePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
where he appeared in 87 games. As a junior, he was a First Team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n after averaging 20.0 points and 7.8 assists. A 1987 and 1988 All-America pick, Strickland helped lead the Blue Demons to four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1985–88, including Sweet Sixteen showings in 1986 and 1987. The four-time Blue Demon letterwinner ranks among the program's career leaders in scoring average (8th; 16.6 ppg), assists (3rd; 557) and steals (2nd; 204). He also averaged 3.4 rebounds while shooting 53.4% during his college career.
NBA career
He was selected in the first round of the 1988 NBA Draft1988 NBA Draft
The 1988 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 1988 in New York City, New York. The length was reduced from seven rounds in the previous year to three rounds.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Notable undrafted players:...
by his hometown New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
where he backed up point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson (basketball)
Mark A. Jackson is a retired American professional basketball player and the current head coach of the Golden State Warriors. He played point guard for the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, and Houston Rockets in the NBA in a career...
, the 1988
1987-88 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls*Rookie of the Year: Mark Jackson, New York Knicks*Defensive Player of the Year: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls...
NBA Rookie of the Year
NBA Rookie of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, which is named in honor of the Philadelphia Warriors head...
. He was seen as sort of an odd choice by some observers since the Knicks had Jackson. Nevertheless, Jackson and Strickland shared time that season. Strickland played in all 82 games and averaged 8.9 points and 3.9 assists in 16.8 minutes per game where he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
Knowing that having both Jackson and Strickland play for the same position would not work, the Knicks dealt Strickland to the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
for veteran Maurice Cheeks
Maurice Cheeks
Maurice Edward "Mo" Cheeks is a retired American professional basketball player and assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association from May 23, 2005 to December 13, 2008...
in the middle of the 1989-1990 season
1989-90 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers*Rookie of the Year: David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs*Defensive Player of the Year: Dennis Rodman, Detroit Pistons...
. Strickland flourished in San Antonio, as the Spurs went 18-6 with him in the starting lineup. He led the club in assists 26 times and averaged 12.3 points and 11.2 assists in 10 playoff
NBA Playoffs
The National Basketball Association Playoffs is a best-of-seven elimination tournament among sixteen teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference , ultimately deciding the final four teams who will play in the NBA Conference Finals.-Format:Following the NBA regular season, eight teams in...
games. However, Strickland was widely criticized for his play down the stretch in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals versus the Portland Trail Blazers, in which he threw an errant no-look pass and then intentionally fouled the Trail Blazers' Clyde Drexler
Clyde Drexler
Clyde Austin "Clyde The Glide" Drexler is a former National Basketball Association shooting guard and small forward. A ten-time All-Star and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBA named him one of basketball's fifty greatest players as of 1996. Drexler won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and...
, costing the Spurs the game.
In the 1990-91 season Strickland lived up to his expectations as an exciting performer when he was healthy. He missed 24 games that year because of a sore ankle and a broken bone in his right hand. In the 58 games he played, Strickland averaged 13.8 points and 8.0 assists, shooting .482 from the field and .763 from the free throw
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
line. He led the Spurs in assists 46 times and in steals 30 times. Strickland finished the year tied with Terry Porter
Terry Porter
Terry Porter is an American professional basketball coach and former player in the National Basketball Association . A native of Wisconsin, he played college basketball at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point before being drafted 24th by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1985 NBA Draft...
for 12th in the NBA in assists. And in a four-game series loss to the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the first round of the 1991 NBA Playoffs
NBA Playoffs
The National Basketball Association Playoffs is a best-of-seven elimination tournament among sixteen teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference , ultimately deciding the final four teams who will play in the NBA Conference Finals.-Format:Following the NBA regular season, eight teams in...
, he posted terrific numbers: 18.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 2.25 steals in 42.0 minutes per game.
Starting the 1991-92 NBA season
1991-92 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls*Rookie of the Year: Larry Johnson, Charlotte Hornets*Defensive Player of the Year: David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs...
in a contract dispute with the Spurs management, Strickland didn't play in the first 24 games of the season. He finally signed on December 23, then started 54 of 57 games and averaged 13.8 points, 8.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.07 steals in 36.0 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 48 times and scored 20 or more points on eight occasions. He notched a then career-high 28 points against the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
on February 6 and made a career-high 19 assists versus the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
on March 3. Strickland started two playoff games against the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
before missing the third with a broken bone in his left hand. The Suns swept the series in three games.
Before the start of the 1992-93 season, Strickland signed as a free agent with the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
. In four seasons with the Blazers, Strickland averaged 17 ppg and 8.6 apg.
In a move that initially helped both franchises, Strickland and teammate Harvey Grant
Harvey Grant
Harvey Grant is a retired American National Basketball Association basketball player. He is the identical twin brother of Horace Grant, also a former NBA player...
were traded to the Washington Bullets for Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Abdul Wallace is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played from 1995 to 2010 in the National Basketball Association...
and Mitchell Butler
Mitchell Butler
Mitchell Leon Butler is a retired American professional basketball player most notable for playing in the NBA from 1993 to 2004....
in 1996. In his first season in Washington, Strickland averaged 17.2 ppg and 8.9 apg helping the Bullets make the playoffs in 1997 for the first time in 8 seasons.
In 1997-98, Strickland had the best season of his career as he averaged 17.8 ppg and a league leading 10.5 apg. During the year, Strickland also became only the 25th player in NBA history to record 10,000 points and 5,000 assists. Though he was selected to the All-NBA second team, the newly renamed Wizards failed to make the playoffs. It was during this time that Strickland got upset about not being selected to play in the All Star Game and stated that if selected next year, he will refuse to play. Strickland has never been selected as an All Star throughout his career. While his individual stats improved over the next few seasons for the Wizards, the team got worse, leading to a buyout of his contract.
Strickland would go on to spend time with the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
, Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
, Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
, Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
, and the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
to conclude his NBA career. He played in 1,094 games and scored over 14,000 points (13.2 career average) and dished out nearly 8,000 assists (7.3 career average). He also ranked among the NBA's top 10 in assists in 1991-92 (5th), 1993-94 (6th), 1994-95 (5th), 1995-96 (4th), 1996-97 (5th), 1997-98 (1st), and 1998-99 (2nd).
In 1,094 NBA games (740 starts), Strickland averaged 13.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 30:44 of floor time per game.
After retirement
He is now serving in an administrative role at the University of Kentucky under Coach John Calipari. Strickland was formerly the director of basketball operations at the University of MemphisUniversity of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
, taking over the job held by former NBA player, Milt Wagner
Milt Wagner
Milton "Milt" Wagner is a retired American basketball player in the NBA.Wagner played high school basketball at Camden High School....
.
In September 2008, Strickland was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame along with NBA stars Kenny Anderson
Kenny Anderson
Kenneth "Kenny" Anderson is a retired American basketball player. After a college career at Georgia Institute of Technology, he played point guard professionally from 1991 to 2006, mostly in the National Basketball Association....
and Sam Perkins
Sam Perkins
Samuel Perkins is a retired American professional basketball player, also known by the nicknames "Sleepy Sam" and "Big Smooth." He attended Samuel J. Tilden High School, Shaker High School and the University of North Carolina, where he was a teammate of Michael Jordan...
, coach Pete Gillen
Pete Gillen
Pete Gillen is an American former college basketball head coach of the Division I Xavier Musketeers, Providence Friars and Virginia Cavaliers and is a member of the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame...
and pioneers Lou Bender
Lou Bender
Louis "Lulu" Bender was an American basketball player who helped turn the sport into a popular success in New York City during the Great Depression and helped make Madison Square Garden a destination for the sport. Bender was a three-time All-Ivy League and two-time All-America in the early 1930s...
and Eddie Younger.
In the early hours of April 11, 2010, Strickland was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving without insurance, driving with no registration tags and disregarding a traffic device. This was Strickland's fourth DUI arrest.
See also
- List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders
- List of National Basketball Association players with 1000 games played
- List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game