Ron Harper - Under Estimated

Ronald Harper (born January 20, 1964 in Dayton, Ohio) is a retired American professional basketball player whose career spanned from 1986 to 2001 with four teams in the NBA. At 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), his position was shooting guard/point guard.

After playing collegiately for Miami University in Ohio, he was selected 8th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1986 NBA Draft. He averaged 22.9 points per game in his rookie season, placing second in Rookie of the Year balloting. After initially spending 3 seasons at the Cavaliers, he would later play for the Los Angeles Clippers, the Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers, where he finished his career. He won five championships in his career, three with the Bulls and two with the Lakers.

While with the Clippers Harper sustained a knee injury which robbed him of much of his speed and jumping ability, though he averaged just under 2 steals per game which still remains a team record. In 1994, he signed a lucrative free agent deal with the Bulls, who were rebuilding following the initial retirement of Michael Jordan. After his first tumultuous season in Chicago, he reinvented himself as a defender and jump shooter. With the return of Jordan in late 1995, Harper remained a key component of the Bulls' perimeter defense and a third scoring option on offense. He became a fan favorite in Chicago. Although he suffered an injury late in the Bulls' record-setting 72-win season in 1996, he returned to the starting lineup for the final game of the 1996 NBA Finals.

He was a mainstay of five of Phil Jackson's last 6 championship teams, following Jackson to Los Angeles to win two more championships (after winning 3 with the bulls). Along with Harper, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, and Robert Horry are the only players to win multiple NBA Championships with two different teams. Interestingly, Rodman (Chicago Bulls 1996-1998), Salley (Los Angeles Lakers 1990-2000) and Horry (Lakers 1999-2001) were teammates of Harper.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• basketball

[crossphaded]

A great tribute to Ronnie Harp. I am one of his biggest fans and I love when I see other hoops fan comeout and show love to him too. He was one of the classiest, savviest, and exciting players to ever play in the NBA. I could go on and on about how much I admire him as a player and as a human being, but everyone who watched and appreciated this video already know who Ron Harper is. Give this guy a coaching job!

[ilovechi1]

Jordan & Harper would kill any backcourt that challenged them.

VeoShock.. Mad props to you for making this video. Keep it up.

[chart3]

Thanks for putting this mix together. Ron was always one of my favorite players. I feel he should be considered a legend for what he did with the Cavs, Clips, Bulls, & Lakers (it wasn't just Shaq and Kobe who won those early championships).

[tkdmaste12]

@Jtfreash33 bilal - you are

[Jtfreash33]

my uncle ron

[cloud84strife]

great video, i really like the song, anybody know the name??

[silkthefreakest]

@fazman52 yea my unkle told me before his knee injury ron was dunkin on everybody he was like the injury changede his game from a slasher to more of a shooter ...he said if it want for that knee he would easly been one of the best gurads ever....my unkle frend played against ron in college so he showed me some of the film he was really great...but still had a solid career though despite the injury

[fazman52]

such a pity he had that brutal knee injury ... although he was still a champion player no doubt.

[mrbuckeye45]

I don't remember which reporter asked the question, but it was brilliant. When Danny Ferry was hired as the Cavaliers GM, a reporter asked the question... If you were the GM then, would you make the trade with the Clipper to send Ron Harper to them for you? After a hearty laugh, I remembered he waffled on answering that question. Even he knew it was a piss poor draft, one that I hated then, and hate now!!! Ron Harper was the one player in the Cavs roster who played with a sense of flair.

[mofo2006]

At 3:40...it's got to be one of the best bloopers ever! Both of them are lookin at Ronnie at their feet bump into each other and WHAM! both of them go down! lol!

Check it out!