Eric Riley
{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1970)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Eric Riley
| image =
| width =
| caption =
| height_ft = 7
| height_in = 0
| weight_lb = 245
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|06|02}}
| birth_place = Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| high_school = Saint Joseph (Cleveland, Ohio)
| college = Michigan (1989–1993)
| draft_year = 1993
| draft_round = 2
| draft_pick = 33
| draft_team = Dallas Mavericks
| career_start = 1993
| career_end = 2004
| career_number = 42, 40, 54, 44
| career_position = Center
| years1 = {{nbay|1993|full=y}}
| team1 = Houston Rockets
| years2 = {{nbay|1994|full=y}}
| team2 = Los Angeles Clippers
| years3 = {{nbay|1995|full=y}}
| team3 = Minnesota Timberwolves
| years4 = 1996–1997
| team4 = Apollon Patras
| years5 = {{nbay|1997|full=y}}
| team5 = Dallas Mavericks
| years6 = {{nbay|1998|end}}
| team6 = Boston Celtics
| years7 = 2000–2001
| team7 = Indiana Legends
| years8 = 2001
| team8 = Cocodrilos de Caracas
| years9 = 2001–2002
| team9 = Euro Roseto
| years10 = 2002–2003
| team10 = Liaoning Dinosaurs
| years11 = 2003–2004
| team11 = Proteas EKA AEL
| highlights =
- NBA champion ({{nbafy|1994}})
- Greek League All-Star (1996 II)
| stats_league = NBA
| stat1label = Points
| stat1value = 574 (3.1 ppg)
| stat2label = Rebounds
| stat2value = 479 (2.6 rpg)
| bbr = rileyer01
}}
Eric Riley (born June 2, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round (33rd pick overall) of the 1993 NBA draft. Riley played for the Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics in five NBA seasons, averaging 3.1 points per game. He was an injured reserve member of the 1993–94 Houston Rockets who won the NBA championship.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he played for Cleveland's St. Joseph High School and then collegiately at the University of Michigan. At Michigan, he redshirted on the 1989 NCAA national champion Wolverines team, and then was the sixth man on Michigan's 1991–92 & 1992–93 Fab Five teams that reached the 1992 & 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship final game.
College career
In 1991, as a sophomore, Riley led the entire 1990–91 Michigan team in both rebounding and blocked shots. In fact, Riley was second in the Big Ten Conference in rebounds for the 1990–91 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/?storyId=1526123|title=Michigan started a trend that's omnipresent|access-date=2011-03-16|date=2003-03-19|author=Darcy, Kieran|publisher=ESPN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711102519/http://m.espn.go.com/wireless/story?storyId=1526123|archive-date=2011-07-11|url-status=live}} He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition in 1991.{{cite web|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/mich/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/bkm-all-time-accolades.pdf|title=University of Michigan Record Book: All-Time Accolades|publisher=CBS Interactive|access-date=2011-03-20|archive-date=2011-04-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110401053817/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/mich/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/bkm-all-time-accolades.pdf|url-status=dead}} On the Fab Five teams, Riley led all reserve players in points, rebounds and blocks. After being relegated to reserve status following the arrival of the Fab Five, he had the best game of his career in the Southeast Regional semifinals of the 1992 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/29/sports/college-basketball-southeast-regional-michigan-saved-by-forgotten-player.html?src=pm|title=COLLEGE BASKETBALL: SOUTHEAST REGIONAL; Michigan Saved By 'Forgotten' Player|access-date=2011-03-19|date=1992-03-29|work=The New York Times}}
Professional career
Riley's draft rights were acquired by the Houston Rockets in a trade made prior to the 1993 NBA draft. Riley spent his rookie season on the 1993–94 Rockets, coached by fellow Michigan alumnus Rudy Tomjanovich, who won the franchise's first NBA title. Though a member of the team, Riley was put on the injured list prior to the playoffs. Riley was waived on December 12, 1994{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/playerfile/eric_riley/index.html|title=Eric Riley|access-date=2011-03-19|work=NBA.com}} but was soon acquired by the Los Angeles Clippers. During his playing career (1993–2004), Riley played for a total of five NBA franchises, as well as several professional teams outside the United States.{{cite web|url=http://michigan.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1200856|title=What Was Missing From The Fab Five Documentary|access-date=2011-03-17|date=2011-03-15|publisher=Rivals.com|author=Balas, Chris}}
Later work
In 2009 Eric Riley started a non-profit called High Rise Foundation. HRF is a non-profit charity with the mission to mentor young adults through sports programs, sports clinics and academic tutoring.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.nba.com/playerfile/eric_riley/index.html?nav=page NBA.com page]
- [https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/rileyer01.html Eric Riley] @ basketball-reference.com
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070210002345/http://www.basketballreference.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=RileyEr01 Eric Riley] @ basketballreference.com
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100418044313/http://stats.ath.umich.edu/basketball/basketstart.php University of Michigan Basketball Statistical Archive]
{{1993 NBA draft}}
{{Houston Rockets 1993–94 NBA champions}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riley, Eric}}
Category:AEL Limassol B.C. players
Category:American expatriate basketball people in China
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Cyprus
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Greece
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Italy
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Venezuela
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Apollon Patras B.C. players
Category:Basketball players from Ohio
Category:Boston Celtics players
Category:Cocodrilos de Caracas players
Category:Dallas Mavericks draft picks
Category:Dallas Mavericks players
Category:Houston Rockets players
Category:Liaoning Flying Leopards players
Category:Los Angeles Clippers players
Category:Michigan Wolverines men's basketball players
Category:Minnesota Timberwolves players
Category:Roseto Sharks players