Lukas Robin Ridnour (born February 13, 1981) is an American retired 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 of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, 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 i ...

(NBA).

High school career

Ridnour was born in

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Coeur d'Alene ( ; french: Cœur d'Alène, lit=Heart of an Awl ) is a city and the county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the largest city in North Idaho and the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistica ...

, and grew up in

Blaine, Washington Blaine is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. The city's northern boundary is the Canada–U.S. border; the Peace Arch international monument straddles the border of both countries. The population was 5,884 at the 2020 censu ...

. His father, Rob, was his basketball coach during high school. His father gave him the keys to the gym during his sophomore year; he was able to practice during the day and late into the night. Subsequently, he was on two state title-winning teams at Blaine High School, and was named a high school All-American by both

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...

and Parade in 2000, his graduation year.

College career

Ridnour went on to star at the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc Nike, Inc. ( or ) is a ...

, where he teamed with Luke Jackson and Fred Jones to take the Ducks to the

NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as NCAA March Madness and commonly called March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 college basketball teams fro ...

twice including the Elite 8 in 2002. He set the school season record for assists (218) and made a conference-record 62 consecutive free throws. Ridnour averaged 19.7 points per game and 6.6 assist per game. Ridnour left Oregon after his junior year, when he was Pac-10 Player of the Year.

Professional career

Seattle SuperSonics (2003–2008)

Luke was picked 14th in the 2003 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. Luke played sparingly during his rookie season, but became the starting point guard for the Sonics in the 2004–05 season. He participated in the 2005 All-Star weekend, playing in the

Rookie Challenge The Rising Stars Challenge is a basketball exhibition game held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) on the Friday before the annual All-Star Game as part of the All-Star Weekend. The current format to be used in 2022 includes first- and ...

and in the Skills Challenge.

Milwaukee Bucks (2008–2010)

On August 13, 2008, Ridnour was involved in a three-team, six-player deal involving the Sonics (which had become 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 ...

), 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 196 ...

, and 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 Central ...

, that sent Milwaukee's

Mo Williams Maurice Williams (born December 19, 1982) is the head men's basketball coach at Jackson State University and a former professional basketball player who played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After a successful high scho ...

to Cleveland, Cleveland's Joe Smith and Milwaukee's Desmond Mason to Seattle, Cleveland's

Damon Jones Damon Darron Jones (born August 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who was an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A combo guard, he played college baske ...

and Ridnour and Adrian Griffin to Milwaukee, which ended Ridnour's five-year run with the Sonics/Thunder.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2010–2013)

On July 21, 2010, Ridnour signed a four-year, $16 million contract with the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

. On February 22, 2012, he scored a buzzer-beater with a floater against the Utah Jazz.

Return to Milwaukee (2013–2014)

On July 11, 2013, Ridnour was reacquired by the Bucks in a three-team transaction that brought

shooting guard Kevin Martin to the

Charlotte Bobcats (2014)

On February 20, 2014, Ridnour was traded to Charlotte along with

Gary Neal Gary Neal (born October 3, 1984) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He played college basketball at La Salle University and Towson University. He began his professional career abroad with teams in Turkey, Spain and ...

in exchange for

Ramon Sessions Ramon Sessions (born April 11, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player and a licensed Sports Agent for an independently owned firm, On Time Agency (OTA). He played three years of college basketball for Nevada, earning WAC All-N ...

and

Jeff Adrien Jeff Adrien (born February 10, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for San Lorenzo de Almagro of the Liga Nacional de Básquet, Argentina. He formerly served as captain for the University of Connecticut Huskies, where he played a ...

Orlando Magic (2014–2015)

On July 25, 2014, Ridnour signed with the Orlando Magic. His final NBA game was played on April 1st, 2015 in a 91–103 loss to the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

where he recorded six points and one assist.

Retirement

In June 2015, Ridnour garnered national attention as he was traded four times in the span of six days. On June 24, he was traded to the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

in exchange for the draft rights to

Jānis Timma Jānis Timma (born 2 July 1992) is a Latvian professional basketball player for Grises de Humacao of the Puerto Rican Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He also represents the senior Latvian national team. At a height of , he plays mainly at t ...

. On June 25, the Grizzlies sent him 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 ...

in exchange for

Matt Barnes Matt Barnes (born March 9, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Barnes was drafted in the second round of the 2002 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. He ...

; later that same day he was traded, along with a 2016 second-round draft pick, to the

in exchange for Jeremy Lamb. Lastly, on June 30, Ridnour was traded to 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 ...

along with cash considerations in exchange for the draft rights to Tomislav Zubčić. Ridnour later stated in an interview with ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'' that he found the whole situation rather "funny", as he and his family were present at their home in Seattle while the moves were unfolding. On July 9, 2015, he was waived by the Raptors, adding to the list of teams he never visited during the two-week period. On September 21, 2015, Ridnour announced his decision to sit out the 2015–16 season. On June 22, 2016, Ridnour announced his retirement from professional basketball.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

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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 region o ...

, 69 , , 6 , , 16.1 , , .414 , , .338 , , .823 , , 1.6 , , 2.4 , , .8 , , .1 , , 5.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 82 , , 82 , , 31.4 , , .405 , , .376 , , .883 , , 2.5 , , 5.9 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 10.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 79 , , 77 , , 33.2 , , .418 , , .289 , , .877 , , 3.0 , , 7.0 , , 1.6 , , .3 , , 11.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 71 , , 58 , , 29.5 , , .433 , , .353 , , .805 , , 2.3 , , 5.2 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , 11.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 61 , , 5 , , 20.0 , , .399 , , .296 , , .857 , , 1.5 , , 4.0 , , .6 , , .2 , , 6.4 , - , align="left" , , 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 i ...

, 72 , , 50 , , 28.2 , , .403 , , .350 , , .869 , , 3.0 , , 5.1 , , 1.3 , , .2 , , 9.6 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 82 , , 0 , , 21.5 , , .478 , , .381 , , .907 , , 1.7 , , 4.0 , , .7 , , .1 , , 10.4 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

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, 53 , , 53 , , 33.0 , , .440 , , .322 , , .891 , , 2.7 , , 4.8 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 12.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 82 , , 82 , , 30.2 , , .453 , , .311 , , .848 , , 2.5 , , 3.8 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 11.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 36 , , 12 , , 21.2 , , .384 , , .368 , , .684 , , 1.7 , , 3.4 , , .6 , , .1 , , 5.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

, 25 , , 2 , , 15.1 , , .389 , , .300 , , .571 , , 1.4 , , 2.2 , , .4 , , .2 , , 4.0 , - , 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 re ...

, 47 , , 0 , , 14.5 , , .426 , , .317 , , .857 , , 1.4 , , 2.0 , , .4 , , .1 , , 4.0 , - , align="center" colspan="2", Career , 830 , , 493 , , 26.1 , , .431 , , .349 , , .857 , , 2.3 , , 4.5 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 9.3

Playoffs

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, 11 , , 11 , , 34.4 , , .393 , , .235 , , .950 , , 3.3 , , 4.3 , , 1.2 , , .7 , , 9.7 , - , 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 ...

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, 7 , , 0 , , 17.3 , , .467 , , .357 , , .833 , , 1.9 , , 1.9 , , .6 , , .1 , , 8.1 , - , align="left" ,

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...

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, 4 , , 0 , , 9.0 , , .308 , , .333 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , 3.0 , , .0 , , .3 , , 2.5 , - , align="center" colspan="2", Career , 22 , , 11 , , 24.3 , , .406 , , .297 , , .906 , , 2.4 , , 3.3 , , .8 , , .5 , , 7.9

Personal life

Ridnour 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� ...

. Ridnour has spoken about his faith saying, "Even though I now have more success, fame, and money than I ever dreamed, my relationship with

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

is the only thing that brings me true peace and satisfaction."

References

External links

*
ESPN.com Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridnour, Luke 1981 births Living people All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Idaho Basketball players from Washington (state) Charlotte Bobcats players McDonald's High School All-Americans Milwaukee Bucks players Minnesota Timberwolves players Oregon Ducks men's basketball players Orlando Magic players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from Blaine, Washington People from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Point guards Seattle SuperSonics draft picks Seattle SuperSonics players