Richard Charles Pierce (born August 19, 1959) is an American retired

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) player. Nicknamed "Deuces" and "Big Paper Daddy", he was selected as an

NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of al ...

(1991) and was twice the

NBA Sixth Man of the Year The National Basketball Association's Sixth Man of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the league's best performing player for his team coming off the bench as a substit ...

(1987, 1990) while with the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

Career beginnings

Pierce graduated from

Garland High School Garland High School is a high school located in Garland, Texas, which serves grades 9-12. It is a part of the Garland Independent School District. The school is a member of the AP program, the IB program, and is known for its football team, the ...

. He later played basketball at

Walla Walla Community College Walla Walla Community College (WWCC), often referred to as just “CC” locally, is a multi-campus community college in southeastern Washington state. History Walla Walla Community College was founded in 1967 by Peter Dietrich when the region ...

and

Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...

NBA

Detroit Pistons

Pierce was drafted by the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...

in the 1st round (18th pick) of the 1982 NBA Draft. Used sparingly in his rookie season, he was traded to the

San Diego 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 ...

immediately prior to the 1983-84 NBA season for two future 2nd round draft picks.

San Diego Clippers

Pierce became a rotation regular during his one season with the Clippers, averaging 9.9 points and 18.6 minutes per game. He started 35 games during the season, highlighted by a then-career-high 30-point performance against San Antonio in his first start as a Clipper.

Milwaukee Bucks

Pierce was traded by the

before the 1984-85 season along with

Terry Cummings Robert Terrell "Terry" Cummings (born March 15, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Cummings was voted Rookie of the Year and was a two-time All-Star, a ...

to the

. The trade, which also brought

Craig Hodges Craig Anthony Hodges (born June 27, 1960)
''basketball-reference.com''. Retrieved March 19, 2011 is an ...

to Milwaukee, while sending veterans

Junior Bridgeman Ulysses Lee "Junior" Bridgeman (born September 17, 1953) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Bridgeman played in the National Basketball League (NBA) for twelve years from 1975 until 1987, beginning with the Milw ...

and

Marques Johnson Marques Kevin Johnson (born February 8, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player who is a basketball analyst for the Milwaukee Bucks on Bally Sports Wisconsin. He played as a small forward in the National Basketball Associati ...

(both would eventually have their jerseys retired in Milwaukee) to the Clippers, is viewed as having worked much better for the Bucks than the Clippers. Pierce was reunited with his coach at Rice,

Mike Schuler Michael Harold Schuler (September 22, 1940 – June 28, 2022) was an American basketball coach in both college and the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers from 198 ...

, who was then an assistant coach for the Bucks. Pierce would go on to average 17 points per game over the next 6 full seasons in Milwaukee, despite starting only 46 games in that time. On March 13, 1985, Pierce scored 22 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and recorded 6 assists in a win against the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

. Pierce and the Bucks would go on to beat

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...

and the Bulls 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs, before being upset by the lower seeded

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Pierce won the

NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Sixth Man of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the league's best performing player for his team coming off the bench as a substit ...

for 1986–87 for averaging 19.5 points per game with a 53.4% shooting percentage in his third season with the Bucks. That same postseason, on May 8, 1987, Pierce led the Bucks with 29 points off the bench in a Game 3 victory against

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

, however, Boston would ultimately win the series. During the 1989 NBA Playoffs, on May 2, Pierce led the Bucks to 117-113 Game 3 victory over the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...

with a team-high 35 points. The Bucks would win the series 3-2, before being eliminated in the next round by the eventual-champion

Pistons A piston is an engineering component of engines and pumps. Piston(s) may also refer to: Science and technology * Piston (optics) * Piston (subcellular structure) * Piston valve * Fire piston, an ancient device for kindling fire * Gas-operated rel ...

. The following season, Pierce earned the Sixth Man award again, averaging 23.0 points per game without starting a single one (an NBA record) in 1989–90. That season, on November 9, 1989, Pierce played a key role in the longest game in the shot clock era, at four hours and 17 minutes, scoring a team leading 36 points on 15 of 21 shooting, during a 155-154 5OT win. On December 5, Pierce scored a career-high 45 points in a loss against the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

. In the week preceding the 1991 trade deadline, the Bucks traded Pierce to the

Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...

for

Dale Ellis Dale or dales may refer to: Locations * Dale (landform), an open valley * Dale (place name element) Geography ;Australia *The Dales (Christmas Island), in the Indian Ocean ;Canada *Dale, Ontario ;Ethiopia *Dale (woreda), district ;Norway *Da ...

. When asked about referring to himself as a “hired gun” in relation to being a designated scorer who bounced around on several teams, Pierce said “The teams would let you know that you were hired to play a certain role. That was the role that I took on, my strength, my scoring ability. That was what I focused on. One time, in the middle of a game, I was passing the ball a lot. Coach

Don Nelson Donald Arvid Nelson (born May 15, 1940) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. Nelson is second all-time in regular season wins of any coach in NBA history, with 1,335 (he held the record for most wins for almost 12 ...

called a timeout. He told me ‘I have

Paul Pressey Paul Matthew Pressey (born December 24, 1958) is an American former professional basketball player who was also an assistant coach for seven different National Basketball Association (NBA) teams. Pressey is widely credited as being one of the initi ...

to pass. Your job is to score the ball.’ I thought that was kind of cool. I really liked that.”

Seattle Supersonics

Pierce became a regular starter in the 1991–92 season, his first full season with the Sonics. He made 75 consecutive free throws through several games in November–December 1991, the second-longest such streak at that time. The same year, in

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

, Pierce led Seattle in scoring during both the regular and post seasons. In the 1993 NBA playoffs, Pierce led the Sonics to 103-100 Game 7 win in the conference semifinals over 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 ...

with a game-leading 25 points. In the next round, Pierce, alongside teammates

Gary Payton Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who played the point guard position. Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best known for his 13-year tenure with t ...

and

Shawn Kemp Shawn may refer to: *Shawn (given name) *Shawn (surname) See also * Sean * Shaun Shaun is an anglicized spelling of the Irish name Seán. Alternative spellings include Shawn, Sean and Shawne. Notable persons with the given name include: Peop ...

, lost in seven games to the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

, narrowly missing an NBA Finals appearance. Pierce returned to the bench for 1993–94 following Seattle's off-season acquisition of

Kendall Gill Kendall Cedric Gill (born May 25, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who now works as a television basketball analyst. Early life Gill was born in Chicago and attended Rich Central High School in Olympia Fields, Illinois. ...

Golden State Warriors

On July 18, 1994, Pierce was traded along with Carlos Rogers and two draft picks to the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

in exchange for

Byron Houston Byron Dwight Houston (born November 22, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'5", 250-pound power forward, he played collegiately for Oklahoma State University and was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the first round (27t ...

and Sarunas Marciulionis. Pierce battled foot and back injuries during the season and was only able to see action in 27 games.

Indiana Pacers

Prior to the 1995–96 season, Pierce signed with 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 ...

as an unrestricted free agent. Healthy once more, Pierce appeared in 76 games, and after starting only 2 games all season, he started 4 of the Pacers' 5 first round playoff games, contributing 10.2 points and 3.0 assists per game.

Denver Nuggets

Indiana traded Pierce to the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

before the start of 1996–97 season, sending Mark Jackson and a 1st round draft pick to the Nuggets in exchange for

Jalen Rose Jalen Anthony Rose (born January 30, 1973) is an American sports analyst and former professional basketball player. In college, he was a member of the University of Michigan Wolverines' " Fab Five" (along with Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jimmy K ...

, Reggie Williams, and the Nuggets' 1st round pick. In February, with the Nuggets out of the playoff picture, Pierce was traded to the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

for

Anthony Goldwire Anthony Goldwire (born September 6, 1971) is an American former professional basketball player and basketball coach, coach. He played in the National Basketball Association, NBA, and other leagues. Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, he played colle ...

and

George Zidek Jiří "George" Zídek Jr. (born 2 August 1973), is a Czech retired professional basketball player and sports commentator. He played college basketball in the United States for the UCLA Bruins men's basketball, UCLA Bruins from 1991 to 1995. He th ...

Charlotte Hornets

Pierce played an expanded role with the playoff-bound Hornets, starting 17 of the final 29 games and averaging 12 points per game. In the playoffs, Pierce started the first 2 games of the Hornets' series with the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

and contributed 11 points off the bench in the third, which would be his final playoff game as a player.

AEK BC Athens, return to the Bucks and retirement

Without a contract for the 1997–98 season, Pierce signed to play with AEK B.C. Athens, a Greek professional team and one of the best in the country. Pierce played five games with AEK before signing as a free agent with the Milwaukee Bucks in December 1997. On December 19, Pierce scored 13 points in a 92-91 loss against the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...

. He retired from basketball at the end of the season.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, 39 , , 1 , , 6.8 , , .375 , , .143 , , .563 , , .9 , , .4 , , .2 , , .1 , , 2.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

, 69 , , 35 , , 18.6 , , .470 , , .000 , , .861 , , 2.0 , , .9 , , .4 , , .2 , , 9.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, 44 , , 3 , , 20.0 , , .537 , , .250 , , .823 , , 2.7 , , 2.1 , , .8 , , .1 , , 9.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 81 , , 8 , , 26.5 , , .538 , , .130 , , .858 , , 2.9 , , 2.2 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 13.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 79 , , 31 , , 31.7 , , .534 , , .107 , , .880 , , 3.4 , , 1.8 , , .8 , , .3 , , 19.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 37 , , 0 , , 26.1 , , .510 , , .214 , , .877 , , 2.2 , , 2.0 , , .6 , , .2 , , 16.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 75 , , 4 , , 27.7 , , .518 , , .222 , , .859 , , 2.6 , , 2.1 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 17.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 59 , , 0 , , 29.0 , , .510 , , .346 , , .839 , , 2.8 , , 2.3 , , .8 , , .1 , , 23.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 46 , , 0 , , 28.8 , , .499 , , .398 , , .907 , , 2.5 , , 2.1 , , .8 , , .2 , , 22.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, 32 , , 0 , , 26.3 , , .463 , , .391 , , .925 , , 2.3 , , 2.3 , , .7 , , .1 , , 17.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 78 , , 78 , , 34.1 , , .475 , , .268 , , .916 , , 3.0 , , 3.1 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 21.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 77 , , 72 , , 28.8 , , .489 , , .372 , , .889 , , 2.5 , , 2.9 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 18.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 51 , , 0 , , 20.0 , , .471 , , .188 , , .896 , , 1.6 , , 1.8 , , .8 , , .1 , , 14.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 27 , , 6 , , 24.9 , , .437 , , .329 , , .877 , , 2.4 , , 1.5 , , .8 , , .1 , , 12.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, 76 , , 2 , , 18.5 , , .447 , , .337 , , .849 , , 1.8 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , .1 , , 9.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, 33 , , 10 , , 18.2 , , .462 , , .308 , , .902 , , 1.6 , , .9 , , .4 , , .2 , , 10.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

, 27 , , 17 , , 24.1 , , .502 , , .536 , , .889 , , 2.5 , , 1.8 , , .5 , , .1 , , 12.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 39 , , 0 , , 11.3 , , .364 , , .308 , , .827 , , 1.2 , , .9 , , .2 , , .0 , , 3.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 969 , , 269 , , 24.4 , , .493 , , .322 , , .875 , , 2.4 , , 1.9 , , .8 , , .2 , , 14.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 1 , , 0 , , 19.0 , , .500 , , – , , 1.000 , , 2.0 , , 2.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 9.0

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 8, , 1, , 24.8, , .493, , .000, , .778, , 2.3, , 1.9, , .4, , .1, , 9.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 13, , 0, , 24.8, , .460, , .000, , .889, , 2.8, , 1.5, , .6, , .2, , 11.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 12, , 2, , 26.4, , .479, , –, , .821, , 2.3, , 1.3, , .8, , .4, , 15.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5, , 0, , 21.0, , .472, , .200, , .889, , 2.8, , 1.8, , .2, , .4, , 11.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 9, , 0, , 32.4, , .546, , .750, , .872, , 2.8, , 2.8, , 1.2, , .2, , 22.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4, , 0, , 30.5, , .467, , .500, , .903, , 2.3, , 1.5, , 1.3, , .0, , 22.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5, , 0, , 22.4, , .333, , .300, , .941, , 2.8, , .8, , .8, , .2, , 11.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 9, , 9, , 35.1, , .481, , .273, , .870, , 2.4, , 3.1, , .6, , .1, , 19.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 19, , 19, , 30.4, , .456, , .400, , .898, , 2.4, , 2.2, , .6, , .2, , 17.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5, , 0, , 14.8, , .452, , –, , .706, , 1.0, , .6, , .2, , .0, , 8.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5, , 4, , 26.6, , .340, , .250, , .850, , .8, , 3.0, , 1.6, , .2, , 10.2 , - , style="text-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 ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3, , 2, , 29.0, , .458, , .143, , –, , 2.7, , 1.3, , .7, , .0, , 7.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 97 , , 37 , , 27.4 , , .466 , , .355 , , .866 , , 2.4 , , 1.9 , , .7 , , .2 , , 14.9

Post playing career

Since retiring, Pierce has developed his own basketball system that assists with shooting accuracy with specially-designed fingertip-placement markers. Pierce developed the idea after watching his son, Aron, playing basketball at the

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

. Pierce was giving advice to parents on how to teach their kids the perfect jump shot.''Sports Illustrated'', July 2, 2007, p. 118. A product would later be developed known as the Accushot22, a specially designed basketball with 10 oval indentations. The product sells for $37.95, although hundreds are given away free to underprivileged children.

Personal life

Pierce is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

. Pierce is married to Joyce Pierce. They have three children. Pierce returned to Rice University to complete his degree, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in

kinesiology Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, biomechanical, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Applications of kinesiology to human health ...

in May 2012.Rice's 99th Commencement Included Over 100 Student-Athletes
riceowls.com, May 12, 2012

Notes

External links

* (selected season stats and career highs)

by the NBA {{DEFAULTSORT:Pierce, Ricky 1959 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American people 21st-century American inventors AEK B.C. players African-American basketball players African-American inventors All-American college men's basketball players American expatriate basketball people in Greece American men's basketball players Basketball players from Dallas Charlotte Hornets players Denver Nuggets players Detroit Pistons draft picks Detroit Pistons players Garland High School alumni Golden State Warriors players Greek Basket League players Indiana Pacers players Junior college men's basketball players in the United States Milwaukee Bucks players National Basketball Association All-Stars People from Garland, Texas Rice Owls men's basketball players San Diego Clippers players Seattle SuperSonics players Shooting guards Walla Walla Community College alumni