Glen Rice

Glen Anthony Rice Sr. (born May 28, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

As a small forward, Rice was a three-time NBA All-Star and made 1,559 three-point field goals during his 15-year career.

Rice won both an NCAA championship and NBA championship during his collegiate and professional career.

In recent years, Rice has taken up mixed martial arts fight promotion as owner of G-Force Fights based in Miami, Florida.

Glen Anthony Rice Sr. was born on May 28, 1967, in Jacksonville, Arkansas.

He attended Flint Northwestern High School in Flint, Michigan, where he excelled in basketball.

His 8–11 shooting performance including 4–5 three-pointer shooting and his 20 points in the third quarter broke Philadelphia guard Hal Greer's record (19), set in 1968.

By scoring 24 in a half, Rice surpassed the previous mark of 23, owned by Wilt Chamberlain and Tom Chambers.

Rice's performance is listed on the NBA's 57 Memorable All-Star Moments.

His performance helped the Eastern Conference win the game, and earned him the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award.

Rice played college basketball for the University of Michigan Wolverines for four seasons (1985–1989), a starter for three of those seasons.

He became the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,442 points.

After Rice's junior year, he was invited to try out for the 1988 United States Olympic basketball team, but he was cut before reaching the group of 48.

The Heat was an expansion team in the NBA and was now in their second-year in need of some offensive help after finishing last in the NBA in points per game in 1988–89.

Joining other young players such as Sherman Douglas and Rony Seikaly, Rice would be called upon to deliver some of the scoring load despite being a rookie.

Starting in 60 games, Rice averaged 13.6 points per game his rookie season just behind Douglas and Seikaly, but the lottery-bound Heat only won 18 games.

The following year only saw modest improvement for the team from 18 wins to 24 wins, but Rice started in every game he played and increased his scoring load to 17.4 points a game while leading the team in three-point field goals with 71.

He led Michigan to the 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, scoring an NCAA-record 184 points in tournament play, a record that still stands.

Rice was also voted the tournament's Most Outstanding Player and was part of the Associated Press All-America second-team, after averaging 25.6 points for the season, while shooting 58% from the floor and 52% from three-point range.

Rice made the cover of Sports Illustrated on April 10, 1989.

Rice continues to rank among Michigan's all-time leaders in several statistical categories, including:

Rice started his senior season as a projected mid-first-round selection, but his stock rose due to his record-breaking performance in the NCAA Tournament, and he was selected #4 overall in the 1989 NBA draft by the Miami Heat.

The 1991–92 season would prove to be a breakthrough season for Rice and the Heat, as the team improved to 38 wins and featured other young players such as Steve Smith and Brian Shaw.

By now Rice had become the team's leading scorer and averaged 22.3 points a game with 155 three-point field goals (second in the league), leading the Heat to its first playoff series in which the young team was swept by the defending champion Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan.

Despite this, the Heat won fewer games the following year, while Rice's scoring average slipped to 19 as the scoring load of Seikaly and Smith increased.

Rice averaged 21.1 points a game in the 1993–94 season and led the Heat back into the playoffs and to their first-ever playoff game win against the Atlanta Hawks, but the Heat were unable to win the hard-fought first-round series in which the Hawks prevailed 3 games to 2.

In the 1994–95 season, Rice averaged 22.3 points a game (10th in the league) and made 185 three-point shots (6th in the league).

The 56 points were an NBA season-high for the 1994–95 season.

Despite his success, the Heat was unable to make the playoffs.

Despite not being selected to play in the annual NBA All-Star Game, Rice participated in the NBA All-Star Long Distance Shootout at the 1995 All-Star game in Phoenix, and won the contest, edging out another sharp-shooter, Reggie Miller.

Later during the season in a nationally televised game against Shaquille O'Neal and the Orlando Magic he scored a career-high 56 points on 20 of 27 shots from the floor including 7 three-pointers.

Days before the start of the 1995–96 season, newly hired Coach/GM Pat Riley organized a trade in which Rice was sent to the Charlotte Hornets along with Matt Geiger in exchange for disgruntled Hornets center Alonzo Mourning who had refused any contract negotiations.

The Hornets paired Rice with high scoring forward Larry Johnson, and the two led the team to 41 wins.

Rice led the team in scoring with 21.6 points a game and led his team in three-point field goals (171) and three-point shooting percentage (42%).

He was also named to play in the 1996 NBA All-Star Game, but the Hornets failed to make the playoffs.

It would be the 1996–97 season in which Rice would earn the distinction of an elite player in the league.

The Hornets had acquired veteran players Vlade Divac and Anthony Mason and no longer featured Johnson, and also hiring a new head coach and NBA legend Dave Cowens.

Rice averaged 26.8 points a game during the season, placing him third in the league in scoring while leading the league in three-point shooting (47%) and minutes played.

His play earned him his second straight All-Star Game election, and at the 1997 NBA All-Star Game set an individual All-Star game records of 20 points in the third quarter and 24 points in the second half to finish with 26 points for the game.

On February 20, 2005, Rice's No. 41 jersey was retired during a ceremony at Michigan's Crisler Arena.