Ronald Henry Lee (born November 2, 1952) is an American former
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player who played six seasons 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 St ...
(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
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, and its co-founder, billion ...
, and epitomized the "Kamikaze Kids" under coach
Dick Harter with his all-out, fearless hustle and relentless desire to win. Born in
Boston, Massachusetts, Lee played four seasons for the Ducks between 1972 and 1976. The
Phoenix Suns made him the tenth selection in the
NBA draft in 1976. Despite not playing football in high school and college, the NFL's
San Diego Chargers also made him a 12th round selection in the
1976 NFL draft. In the NBA, Lee was named to the 1977
NBA All-Rookie Team and led the NBA in steals the following season. Overall, Lee had a solid, but not spectacular career as a reserve, and became a fan favorite because of his effort on the court.
Ron Lee is still the all-time leading scorer for the University of Oregon with 2,085 points in his four seasons of play. He ranks second in career assists with 572, first in field goals (838), and fifth in
free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...
s made (409). He was first-team
All-Pac-8 in all four seasons with the Ducks, and made numerous All-American lists during his final three seasons. Lee was inducted into the
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall. Operated by the Oregon Sports ...
in 1998.
After ending his NBA career, Lee played for 3 years in Italy.
Personal life
Ron is younger brother of
Russ Lee, former All-American basketball player at
Marshall University
Marshall University is a public research university in Huntington, West Virginia. It was founded in 1837 and is named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States.
The university is currently composed of nine colleges: ...
and sixth overall pick in the
1972 NBA draft. Ron has another brother who played basketball at Marshall named Eugene. A third brother, Gerald Lee Sr., played at Dowling College and then professionally in Finland (all-time leading scorer in Finland pro basketball). His nephew is the Finnish international player
Gerald Lee.
ODU sports
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See also
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References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Ron
1952 births
Living people
Alviks BK players
African-American basketball players
All-American college men's basketball players
American expatriate basketball people in Italy
American expatriate basketball people in Sweden
American men's basketball players
Atlanta Hawks players
Basketball players from Boston
Detroit Pistons players
New Orleans Jazz players
Oregon Ducks men's basketball players
Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)
Phoenix Suns draft picks
Phoenix Suns players
Point guards
Victoria Libertas Pallacanestro players
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American sportspeople