Eric Todd Piatkowski (; born September 30, 1970) is an American former professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA). He played
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for the
Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Nebraska Cornhuskers (often abbreviated to Huskers) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference, and the Cornhuskers compete in NCAA Divis ...
. He is the son of former
ABA player
Walt Piatkowski
Walter Piatkowski, Jr. (born June 11, 1945) is a retired American professional basketball player.
A 6'8" forward, Piatkowski began his career at Toledo Woodward High School then starred at Bowling Green State University, where he was a Converse ...
.
High school career
Piatkowski attended
Rapid City Stevens High School and was a student and a standout in basketball. In basketball, as a senior, he led his team to the 1989 South Dakota Class AA State Championship, was an All-State selection, and was named the Mr. Basketball for the State of South Dakota.
College career
Piatkowski played at the
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln (Nebraska, NU, or UNL) is a public land-grant research university in Lincoln, Nebraska. Chartered in 1869 by the Nebraska Legislature as part of the Morrill Act of 1862, the school was known as the Universit ...
for coach
Danny Nee
Daniel Hugh Nee (born June 18, 1945) is an American basketball coach. He served as the head men's basketball coach at Ohio University from 1980 to 1986, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln from 1986 to 2000, Robert Morris University in 2000–0 ...
from 1990 to 1994. He was a member of the All Big Eight Freshman team in 1991 and was honorable mention All Big Eight his freshman and sophomore seasons. Piatkowski was a first team All-Big Eight pick by the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
his junior year and averaged a team high 16.7 points per game. He averaged 21.5 points per game his senior season and was named to the All Big Eight team again. He also led the
Cornhuskers
The Nebraska Cornhuskers (often abbreviated to Huskers) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference, and the Cornhuskers compete in NCAA Divis ...
to the Big Eight Conference Tournament Championship game while scoring a collegiate high and NU single game record 42 points against Oklahoma in the semi-finals. They went on to defeat Oklahoma State in the finals and he secured tournament MVP honors. That helped earn them the sixth seed in the
NCAA Tournament. However Piatkowski's team lost to the eleventh seeded
Penn Quakers
The Penn Quakers are the athletic teams of the University of Pennsylvania. The school sponsors 33 varsity sports. The school has won three NCAA national championships in men's fencing and one in women's fencing.
School colors
There are se ...
in the opening round. He was recognized as an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press and finished his collegiate career with 1,934 career points, behind only
Dave Hoppen
David Dirk Hoppen (born March 13, 1964) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and other leagues. Hoppen played college basketball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and is the progr ...
for the most in school history. His jersey at Nebraska (No. 52) was retired in 2006.
Piatkowski’s Jersey to be Retired Saturday - Huskers.com—Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site
/ref>
NBA career
After completing his eligibility at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
, Piatkowski was drafted by the Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
with the 15th pick of the 1994 NBA Draft
The 1994 NBA draft took place on June 29, 1994, at Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis. Two NBA rookies of the year were picked in the first round, as Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were co-winners of the award for the 1994–95 NBA season. Kidd and Hill ...
. The Pacers immediately dealt his draft rights, along with Jerome Richardson
Jerome Richardson (November 15, 1920 – June 23, 2000) was an American jazz musician, tenor saxophonist, and flute player, who also played soprano sax, alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto flute and piccolo. He played with Ch ...
and Malik Sealy
Malik Sealy (February 1, 1970 – May 20, 2000) was an American professional basketball player, active from 1992 until his death in an automobile accident at the age of 30. Sealy played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) ...
, to the Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
for Mark Jackson
Mark A. Jackson (born April 1, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player. A point guard from St. John's University, he played for the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Utah ...
and the draft rights to Greg Minor
Greg Magado Minor (born September 18, 1971) is an American basketball coach and a former National Basketball Association player who spent five seasons with the Boston Celtics. Born in Sandersville, Georgia he played basketball for Washington Coun ...
. He ended his Clipper career as the franchise leader in games played (616), 3-point field goals made (738) and 3-point field goal attempts (1,835) and free throw percentage (.880%).
After nine seasons with the Clippers he signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
before the 2003-04 season. Piatkowski became a Bull on September 8, 2004, when Houston sent him, Adrian Griffin
Adrian Darnell Griffin Sr. (born July 4, 1974) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in the NBA as a shooting guard ...
and Mike Wilks to Chicago in exchange for Dikembe Mutombo
Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo (born June 25, 1966) is a Congolese-American former professional basketball player. Mutombo played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Outside basketball, he has becom ...
.
On July 13, 2006, Piatkowski officially signed with the Phoenix Suns, agreeing on a two-year, $2.4 million deal. In April 2014 Piatkowski's group was attempting to buy the L.A. Clippers from embattled owner Donald T Sterling, before Steve Ballmer bought the team outright.
Career highlights and trivia
*He played for the US in the World Basketball games in 1993.
*On February 16, 2002, he set a career high of 36 points against the Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
.
*He set the Clippers individual season record for three-point percentage at .466 which ranked him third in the NBA that season. ( 2001-02)
*Nicknamed "Pike" and "The Polish Rifle" for his surname and three-point shooting accuracy.
*The first third generation pro basketball player, his dad Walt played four seasons, and grandad Joe played in the 1950s.
*Holds three L.A. Clippers all time records, free throw percentage, three point shooting percentage and most games played for the franchise in L.A.
*Had his number 52 retired by the University of Nebraska.
*Beginning in the 2008-2009 season, Piatkowski became the color analyst on Fox Sports Midwest
Bally Sports Midwest is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, a joint venture between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The channel broadcasts regional e ...
for the Nebraska men's basketball team.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" , L.A. Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
, 81 , , 11 , , 14.9 , , .441 , , .374 , , .783 , , 1.6 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .2 , , 7.0
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" , L.A. Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
, 65 , , 1 , , 12.1 , , .405 , , .333 , , .817 , , 1.6 , , .7 , , .4 , , .2 , , 4.6
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" , L.A. Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
, 65 , , 0 , , 11.5 , , .450 , , .425 , , .821 , , 1.6 , , .8 , , .5 , , .2 , , 6.0
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" , L.A. Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
, 67 , , 35 , , 26.0 , , .452 , , .409 , , .824 , , 3.5 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , .2 , , 11.3
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" , L.A. Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
, 49 , , 38 , , 25.3 , , .432 , , .394 , , .863 , , 2.9 , , 1.1 , , .9 , , .1 , , 10.5
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" , L.A. Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
, 75 , , 23 , , 22.8 , , .415 , , .383 , , .850 , , 3.0 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , .2 , , 8.7
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" , L.A. Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
, 81 , , 40 , , 26.5 , , .433 , , .404 , , .873 , , 3.0 , , 1.2 , , .6 , , .2 , , 10.6
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" , L.A. Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
, 71 , , 64 , , 24.2 , , .439 , , .466 , , .894 , , 2.6 , , 1.6 , , .6 , , .2 , , 8.8
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" , L.A. Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
, 62 , , 26 , , 21.9 , , .471 , , .398 , , .828 , , 2.5 , , 1.1 , , .5 , , .1 , , 9.7
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" , Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, 49 , , 0 , , 14.3 , , .377 , , .352 , , .875 , , 1.5 , , .5 , , .3 , , .1 , , 4.1
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" , Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, 68 , , 11 , , 12.4 , , .430 , , .425 , , .804 , , 1.2 , , .8 , , .4 , , .0 , , 4.8
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" , Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, 29 , , 1 , , 7.9 , , .393 , , .273 , , .400 , , .8 , , .4 , , .2 , , .0 , , 2.0
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" , Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
, 11 , , 0 , , 6.6 , , .360 , , .389 , , 1.000 , , .8 , , .4 , , .0 , , .1 , , 2.5
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" , Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
, 16 , , 0 , , 7.1 , , .364 , , .423 , , 1.000 , , .8 , , .6 , , .0 , , .1 , , 2.4
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 789 , , 250 , , 18.5 , , .434 , , .399 , , .839 , , 2.2 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .1 , , 7.5
Playoffs
, -
, align="left" , 1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
, align="left" , L.A. Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
, 3 , , 0 , , 12.7 , , .364 , , .400 , , .857 , , .7 , , .0 , , .3 , , .0 , , 5.3
, -
, align="left" , 2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, align="left" , Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, 1 , , 0 , , 4.0 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0
, -
, align="left" , 2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, align="left" , Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, 5 , , 0 , , 13.2 , , .316 , , .385 , , .857 , , 1.8 , , .6 , , .8 , , .2 , , 4.6
, -
, align="left" , 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, align="left" , Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, 6 , , 0 , , 4.7 , , .500 , , .400 , , 1.000 , , .8 , , .2 , , .0 , , .2 , , 1.7
, -
, align="left" , 2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, align="left" , Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
, 1 , , 0 , , 3.0 , , 1.000 , , .000 , , .000 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.0
, -
, align="left" , 2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, align="left" , Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
, 1 , , 0 , , 2.0 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 17 , , 0 , , 8.3 , , .368 , , .391 , , .875 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , .3 , , .1 , , 3.0
Notes
External links
*
ESPN.com Profile - Eric Piatkowski
{{DEFAULTSORT:Piatkowski, Eric
1970 births
Living people
American men's basketball players
American people of Polish descent
Basketball players from Ohio
Basketball players from South Dakota
Chicago Bulls players
Houston Rockets players
Indiana Pacers draft picks
Los Angeles Clippers players
Medalists at the 1993 Summer Universiade
Nebraska Cornhuskers men's basketball players
Phoenix Suns players
Shooting guards
Small forwards
Sportspeople from Rapid City, South Dakota
Sportspeople from Steubenville, Ohio
Universiade gold medalists for the United States
Universiade medalists in basketball