Ronald D'Wayne Price (born June 21, 1983) 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 and current scout for 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 ...

. Price grew up in

Friendswood, Texas Friendswood is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the metropolitan area. The city lies in Galveston and Harris Counties. As of the 2010 census, the population of Friendswood was 35,805. In 2007, CNN/''Money'' magazine listed Fr ...

and 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 one year at Nicholls State and three years at Utah Valley State (now Utah Valley). Price was drafted in the

2005 NBA draft The 2005 NBA draft took place on June 28, 2005, in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players f ...

and played for 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 ...

from to . Price then played for the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...

, and

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

before returning to Phoenix for a second and final playing stint.

Early life and college career

Price was born and raised in

and graduated from

Clear Brook High School Clear Brook High School is a secondary school located in Friendswood, Texas, United States. Notable alumni *Stephanie Beatriz, actress * Ben Emanuel, Safety, Calgary Stampeders CFL * Anthony Hill, NFL tight end *Ronnie Price, National Basketball ...

in 2001 as an honor roll student with a 3.4

grade point average Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements for varying levels of achievements in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (usually A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a numbe ...

. At 5-foot-7, Price was considered undersized as a senior and was not offered any basketball scholarships out of high school. In 2001, Price enrolled at

Nicholls State University Nicholls State University is a public university in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Founded in 1948, Nicholls is part of the University of Louisiana System. Originally named Francis T. Nicholls Junior College, the university is named for Francis T. Nicholl ...

Thibodaux, Louisiana Thibodaux ( ) is a city in, and the parish seat of, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the banks of Bayou Lafourche in the northwestern part of the parish. The population was 15,948 at the 2020 census. Thibodaux is a principal city ...

and walked on to the Colonels basketball team. He grew to 6 feet by the beginning of his freshman season and averaged 11.3 points per game. At 6-foot-1 by the end of his freshman year, Price transferred to Utah Valley State College (now

Utah Valley University Utah Valley University (UVU) is a public university in Orem, Utah. UVU offers master's, bachelor's, associate degrees, and certificates. Previously called Utah Valley State College, the school attained university status in July 2008. History ...

) in

Orem, Utah Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the northern part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is approximately south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Me ...

. As a sophomore (2002–03), Price averaged 15.3 points per game, earning Honorable Mention honors in the NJCAA Region 18. UVSC became a four-year institution the following year, and Price decided to stay as the school transitioned to

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Division I basketball. He improved his scoring average to 20.2 points per game as a junior (2003–04), leading the Wolverines to the so-called Division I Provisional Championship, meaning the team beat other schools transitioning to Division I. The Wolverines finished the season with a 23–5 record. Price scored a career-high 37 points in a game twice during the season. In his senior season (2004–05), Price averaged 24.3 points per game, ranking third in the nation in that category albeit unofficially due to Utah Valley's status as a provisional Division I member. For his efforts, he was named Division I Independent Player of the Year. He finished his senior year with a terrific performance, scoring a season-high 36 points (27 in the second half) in a 71–52 victory over

Northern Colorado Northern Colorado is the name for a region in the state of Colorado and a proposed state in the northeastern portion of Colorado. Region Northern Colorado is a region in the northern portion of Colorado. It borders northwestern Colorado, nort ...

. Price was inducted into the Utah Valley University Hall of Fame on February 4, 2010 at halftime of Utah Valley's game against Texas–Pan American.

Professional career

Sacramento Kings (2005–2007)

Price worked out for the

and

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 ...

after going undrafted in the

. On August 3, 2005, Price signed a guaranteed two-year contract with the

. Price became the first player to enter the NBA directly from Utah Valley University. He played sporadically in his rookie season: in 29 games, Price averaged 5.2 minutes and 2.1 points. On December 22 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 ...

, Price had his only game that season in double figures, with 11 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist in 18 minutes. In the season, Price got more playing time with 58 games and one start and averaged 9.7 minutes, 3.3 points, and 1.2 rebounds. On November 22, Price scored a career-high 16 points in a game against the

on November 22, 2006, including a dunk over

Carlos Boozer Carlos Austin Boozer Jr. (born November 20, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. The two-time NBA All-Star played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers, and then spent his last seas ...

that NBA.com panelists considered one of the most memorable plays of the season. Price started his first NBA game on December 5 against the

and scored 2 points in 13 minutes.

Utah Jazz (2007–2011)

In July 2007, Price signed a free agent contract with the Jazz. He started the season as third-string point guard, behind

Deron Williams Deron Michael Williams ( ; born June 26, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini before being drafted third overall in the 2005 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz. A thre ...

and Jason Hart (Hart for the second time). Price eventually replaced Hart as the main backup to Williams. He played in 61 games in 2007–08, averaging 3.7 points per game. He made highlight reels again after a block he had on

Luke Walton Luke Theodore Walton (born March 28, 1980) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 10 seasons in the NBA as a fo ...

in game 4 of the second round of the 2008 NBA Playoffs against the

L.A. Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

. Walton appeared to have a breakaway layup or dunk when Price unexpectedly caught up with him at the last moment and blocked him soundly, despite their difference in height. This was after receiving 4 stitches and a large bandage above his right eye following a flagrant foul from

Ronny Turiaf Ronny Turiaf ( , ; born 13 January 1983) is a French former professional basketball player who played 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Turiaf grew up in France and played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the U ...

earlier in the game.

Phoenix Suns (2011–2012)

On December 13, 2011, Price signed a one-year contract with the Phoenix Suns to replace

Zabian Dowdell Zabian Dowdell (born September 10, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for Rasta Vechta of the German Basketball Bundesliga. Born in Pahokee, Florida, he played basketball for his hometown's high school. He played college basket ...

. Starting 8 of 36 games, Price averaged 3.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.9 steals. Price had three games with double-figure scoring, including a season-high 18 points on January 13 against the

New Jersey Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

Portland Trail Blazers (2012–2013)

On July 18, 2012, Price signed with the

. Price played 39 games in the season for Portland and averaged 2.7 points, 1.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.7 steals. On February 21, 2013, Price was released by the Trail Blazers to create roster space for

Eric Maynor Eric Demarqua Maynor (born June 11, 1987) is an American former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball for Virginia Commonwealth ...

after the team traded draft rights to

Georgios Printezis Georgios Printezis (alternate spelling: Giorgos) ( el, Γεώργιος Πρίντεζης, born February 22, 1985) is a Greek former professional basketball player who spent the majority of his career with Olympiacos B.C., Olympiacos of the Greek ...

to the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...

Orlando Magic (2013–2014)

On July 25, 2013, Price signed with the

. On July 2, 2014, he was waived by the Magic.

Los Angeles Lakers (2014–2015)

On September 24, 2014, Price signed with the

. On December 7, 2014, Price was moved into the starting line-up in place of

Jeremy Lin Jeremy Shu-How Lin (born August 23, 1988) is a Taiwanese-American professional basketball player who last played for the Guangzhou Loong Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He unexpectedly led a winning turnaround with the Ne ...

. On February 24, 2015, Price was ruled out for the rest of the 2014–15 season after undergoing surgery to remove a

bone spur An exostosis, also known as bone spur, is the formation of new bone on the surface of a bone. Exostoses can cause chronic pain ranging from mild to debilitatingly severe, depending on the shape, size, and location of the lesion. It is most commonl ...

in his right elbow. During his time with the Lakers, Price recorded career-best numbers in points (5.1), assists (3.8), and steals (1.6). One time, Ronnie Price was ejected from a game for throwing a shoe at somebody.

Return to Phoenix (2015–2017)

On July 17, 2015, Price signed a one-year deal with the Phoenix Suns, returning to the franchise for a second stint. Entering his second stint with the team, Price accepted a third-string point guard role behind young guards

Eric Bledsoe Eric Bledsoe (born December 9, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He plays the point guard position. After a season of college basketball with the Kentucky Wil ...

and Brandon Knight, and embraced a part-time role in order to be more of a mentor. On December 23, 2015, Price made a career-high six three-pointers and scored a career-high 20 points in a loss to the Denver Nuggets. On January 15, 2016, he was ruled out for a month after undergoing surgery on his right big toe. He returned to action on February 19 against the Houston Rockets. Price played in a career-high 62 games for the Suns in 2015–16, and recorded a career-high 5.3 points per game. On August 14, 2016, Price signed a two-year deal with the

. However, he was waived by the Thunder on October 24, 2016 after appearing in five preseason games. On January 27, 2017, Price returned to the Suns on a 10-day contract. On February 6, 2017, he signed a second 10-day contract with the Suns, despite having not appeared in a game during his first 10-day contract. He made his season debut four days later, playing two minutes in a 115–97 win over the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...

. On February 24, 2017, he signed with the Suns for the rest of the season.

Scouting career

During the 2018-19 NBA season, the Suns hired Price as a part of the team's new scouting department, after previously firing a majority of their old staff prior to the start of the season. The move essentially confirms the retirement of Price as a player.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 29 , , 0 , , 5.2 , , .362 , , .222 , , 1.000 , , .5 , , .4 , , .2 , , .0 , , 2.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 58 , , 1 , , 9.7 , , .390 , , .323 , , .673 , , 1.2 , , .8 , , .5 , , .1 , , 3.3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, 61 , , 3 , , 9.6 , , .431 , , .347 , , .684 , , .8 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , .0 , , 3.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 52 , , 17 , , 14.2 , , .379 , , .311 , , .756 , , 1.3 , , 2.1 , , .8 , , .1 , , 4.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 60 , , 4 , , 13.4 , , .405 , , .286 , , .695 , , 1.2 , , 2.1 , , .7 , , .2 , , 4.3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 59 , , 0 , , 12.2 , , .352 , , .290 , , .744 , , 1.0 , , .9 , , .7 , , .1 , , 3.3 , - , 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 ...

, 36 , , 8 , , 14.4 , , .377 , , .295 , , .800 , , 1.6 , , 1.9 , , .9 , , .1 , , 3.6 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, 39 , , 0 , , 13.1 , , .325 , , .256 , , .708 , , 1.1 , , 1.9 , , .7 , , .1 , , 2.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rele ...

, 31 , , 2 , , 12.2 , , .304 , , .209 , , .692 , , 1.4 , , 2.1 , , .8 , , .1 , , 2.4 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 43 , , 20 , , 22.8 , , .345 , , .284 , , .800 , , 1.6 , , 3.8 , , 1.6 , , .1 , , 5.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 62 , , 18 , , 19.5 , , .384 , , .347 , , .756 , , 1.6 , , 2.4 , , 1.2 , , .1 , , 5.3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 14 , , 0 , , 9.6 , , .167 , , .176 , , .750 , , .8 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , .1 , , 1.0 , - class="sortbottom" , align="center" colspan="2" , Career , 544 , , 73 , , 13.4 , , .373 , , .302 , , .738 , , 1.2 , , 1.8 , , .8 , , .1 , , 3.7

Playoffs

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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 ...

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Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 4 , , 0 , , 2.3 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , .0 , , .3 , , .0 , , .0 , , .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" ,

, 12 , , 0 , , 5.7 , , .323 , , .214 , , .769 , , .3 , , .9 , , .5 , , .2 , , 2.8 , - , align="left" ,

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

, align="left" ,

, 2 , , 0 , , 8.0 , , .300 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 1.5 , , 2.5 , , .5 , , .0 , , 4.0 , - , align="left" ,

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

, align="left" ,

, 10 , , 0 , , 9.0 , , .292 , , .286 , , .500 , , 1.0 , , 1.4 , , .4 , , .1 , , 2.0 , - class="sortbottom" , align="center" colspan="2" , Career , 28 , , 0 , , 6.5 , , .294 , , .208 , , .696 , , .6 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , .1 , , 2.2

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Price, Ronnie 1983 births Living people African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Texas Junior college men's basketball players in the United States Los Angeles Lakers players Nicholls Colonels men's basketball players Orlando Magic players People from Friendswood, Texas Phoenix Suns players Phoenix Suns scouts Point guards Portland Trail Blazers players Sacramento Kings players Sportspeople from Harris County, Texas Undrafted National Basketball Association players Utah Jazz players Utah Valley Wolverines men's basketball players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people