Richie Adams

Last updated
Richie Adams
Personal information
Born (1963-03-15) March 15, 1963 (age 60)
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Career information
High school Benjamin Franklin
(Harlem, New York)
College UNLV (1981–1985)
NBA draft 1985: 4th round, 81st overall pick
Selected by the Washington Bullets
Position Center
Career highlights and awards

Richie Adams (born March 15, 1963) [1] is an American former basketball player known for his college basketball career at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) as well as for his manslaughter conviction of a 15-year-old girl later in his life. [2]

Contents

Early life

Adams grew up in the Andrew Jackson Housing Projects in the Bronx, New York. [3] At age 13 he discovered his love for basketball after flying to Hawaii to play in a tournament. [3] He enrolled at Benjamin Franklin High School (BFHS) in East Harlem where he would play with future National Basketball Association (NBA) player Walter Berry as well as Gary Springer, Kenny Hutchinson and Lonnie Green, all of whom were jointly credited with making BFHS the country's top-ranked team in the fall of 1979. [4] He played at the Entertainer's Basketball Classic at Rucker Park. [5]

College career

After earning his GED from a Massachusetts junior college, Adams enrolled at UNLV to play for the Jerry Tarkanian-coached Runnin' Rebels basketball team. [6] A 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) center, he was known as an athletic player with great leaping ability who rose to prominence out of seemingly nowhere. [6] Other than taking one season off during school to deal with family issues back in New York, Adams starred at UNLV. [3] During his career he scored 1,168 points and grabbed 623 rebounds (his rebound total was a school-record at the time). [6] [7] In one game against Utah State, Adams scored 37 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, and it was speculated that during Adams' prime he could out-rebound Dennis Rodman. [6] The 1983–84 and 1984–85 seasons, his junior and senior seasons, respectively, Adams was named the back-to-back Pacific Coast Athletic Association Player of the Year. [3] He averaged 12.7 points and 6.7 rebounds his junior year and 16.1 and 7.9 as a senior. [3]

Professional career

After his collegiate career ended, the Washington Bullets selected him in the fourth round (81st overall) in the 1985 NBA draft. [8] Adams never made the final roster, getting cut in training camp, and his professional career consisted of a short stint in the United States Basketball League as well as a select few games in South America. [3] Adams also had a short stint in the Continental Basketball Association, splitting the 1985–86 season between the Bay State Bombardiers and Baltimore Lightning. [1]

Adams was never able to escape the street mentality in which he grew up. [9] He was on a self-destructive path throughout college and that continued even after he was drafted by an NBA team; one day after Adams was chosen by the Bullets, he was arrested for car theft in the Bronx. [6] He was charged with holding up a woman in Manhattan, for purse-snatching, and again for another car theft. [6] Adams used drugs heavily (specifically cocaine) and spent most of his earned basketball money on them. [3]

In 1996, Adams was arrested for manslaughter after Norma Rodriguez, a 15-year-old high school girl, was found dead from a violent stomping on October 15 of the same year. [3] Authorities traced Adams to the crime, and two years later he was convicted of manslaughter and given a 25-year jail sentence. [3] He began originally serving his sentence in Rikers Island Prison before getting moved to upstate New York. [3] His sentence will not be through until 2023.

Related Research Articles

Jayson Williams is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 11 seasons, primarily with the New Jersey Nets. He played his first three seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, who acquired him in trade with the Phoenix Suns following the 1990 NBA draft. Williams spent the remainder of his career with the Nets and was an All-Star in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shawn Marion</span> American basketball player (born 1978)

Shawn Dwayne Marion is an American former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Marion finished his career as a four-time NBA All-Star, a two-time member of the All-NBA Team and a one-time NBA champion, helping the Dallas Mavericks win their maiden title in 2011. Nicknamed "The Matrix" by former NBA player Kenny Smith during the preseason of his rookie year, he was widely regarded as one of the most versatile players in the league because of his athleticism and ability to play and defend many positions. He was also known for his unorthodox shooting form.

Isaiah Rider Jr., nicknamed J.R., is an American former professional basketball player who played 9 seasons in the NBA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rucker Park</span> Basketball court in Manhattan, New York

Greg Marius Court at Holcombe Rucker Park is a basketball court at the border of Harlem and the Coogan's Bluff section of Washington Heights neighborhoods of Manhattan, at 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard, just east of the former Polo Grounds site. It is geographically at the base of a large cliff named Coogan's Bluff. Many who have played at the park in the Entertainer's Basketball Classic achieved a level of fame for their abilities, and several have gone on to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richie Guerin</span> American basketball player and coach

Richard Vincent Guerin is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played with the National Basketball Association's (NBA) New York Knicks from 1956 to 1963 and was a player-coach of the St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks franchise where he spent nine years. On February 15, 2013, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced that Guerin had been elected as one of its 2013 inductees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl Manigault</span> American street basketball player (1944–1998)

Earl Manigault was an American street basketball player who was nicknamed "The Goat" or "The Lip". He is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players to never play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Anderson (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1970)

Kenneth Anderson, known as Kenny Anderson, is an American former professional basketball player. After a college career at Georgia Tech, he played point guard professionally from 1991 to 2006, mostly in the National Basketball Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stacey Augmon</span> American basketball player and coach

Stacey Orlando Augmon is an American basketball coach and former player. He serves as the player development coach of the Sacramento Kings. He played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He gained the nickname "Plastic Man" due to his athletic ability to contort his body. He was also an assistant coach at his alma mater UNLV under coach Dave Rice. He was previously the head coach of Jeonju KCC Egis of the Korean Basketball League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reggie Theus</span> American basketball player and coach

Reginald Wayne Theus is an American basketball coach and former player. He played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was a two-time NBA All-Star. He is currently the men's basketball head coach and athletic director at Bethune–Cookman. He was the head coach for the NBA's Sacramento Kings and in college with the New Mexico State Aggies and the Cal State Northridge Matadors men's teams. He was also an assistant coach for the Louisville Cardinals under Rick Pitino.

Raymond Darlington Felix was an American professional basketball player. He was born in New York City. He played high school basketball at Metropolitan High School in New York and college basketball at Long Island University. Felix was the No. 1 overall pick of the 1953 NBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod Strickland</span> American basketball player and coach

Rodney Strickland is an American basketball coach and former professional basketball player. He is currently the head coach at Long Island University. Prior to LIU, he served as the program manager for the NBA G League's professional path. Strickland played college basketball at DePaul University, where he was awarded All-American honors. He then enjoyed a long career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), playing from 1988 to 2005. Strickland was an assistant coach for the South Florida Bulls, under Orlando Antigua from 2014 to 2017. He formerly served in an administrative role for the University of Kentucky basketball team under head coach John Calipari and was the director of basketball operations at the University of Memphis under Calipari. He is the godfather of current NBA player Kyrie Irving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armen Gilliam</span> American basketball player (1964–2011)

Armen Louis Gilliam was an American professional basketball player who played 13 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1987 to 2000. He also played one season for the Pittsburgh Xplosion of the American Basketball Association. Gilliam returned to the court after retirement as the head basketball coach for the (NCAA) Division III Penn State Altoona Lions from 2002 to 2005.

Sidney Green is an American former professional basketball player and former coach. He played college basketball for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels and was drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA) by the Chicago Bulls in 1983. After a ten-year career in the NBA he went into college coaching. He now works as a Chicago Bulls team ambassador.

Jay Fletcher Vincent is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. Vincent was selected 24th overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1981 NBA draft. He played for several NBA teams, including the Dallas Mavericks, Washington Bullets, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, and Los Angeles Lakers. Vincent also played professionally in Italy.

Harthorne Nathaniel Wingo was an American professional basketball player.

Gary Springer Sr. is an American former professional basketball player who is best known for his collegiate career at Iona between 1980–81 and 1983–84.

Khem Xavier Birch is a Canadian professional basketball player who last played for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers and the UNLV Runnin' Rebels.

Kenny Hutchinson is an American former basketball player. He emerged as a top college prospect while playing basketball in New York City at Benjamin Franklin High School and Martin Luther King Jr. High School. While playing at Franklin, Hutchinson was part of a star line-up alongside Richie Adams, Gary Springer and Walter Berry. He won a state championship in 1982 before the school closed down that same year. Hutchinson transferred to King for his final year, where he was named a second-team Parade All-American in 1983. During his high school years, he was an avid streetball basketball player at Rucker Park participating in the Entertainer's Basketball Classic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derrick Jones Jr.</span> American basketball player

Derrick Labrent Jones Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryce Hamilton</span> American basketball player

Bryce Evan Hamilton is an American professional basketball player for the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels of the Mountain West Conference (MWC).

References

  1. 1 2 1986–87 CBA Official Guide and register, page 214
  2. ↑ Halbfinger, David M. (1998-09-29). "Former Basketball Star Is Convicted in the Slaying of a Teen-Age Girl (Published 1998)". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-10-30.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Carp, Steve (October 5, 1998). "Adams faces life behind bars". Las Vegas Sun . Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  4. ↑ Mallozzi, Vincent M. (March 3, 2006). "Like Fathers, Like Sons Is Goal for Iona Pair". The New York Times . Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  5. ↑ Mallozzi, Vincent M. (2003-06-17). Asphalt Gods: An Oral History of the Rucker Tournament. Knopf Doubleday Publishing. ISBN   9780385506762.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Alvarez, Lizette; Mallozzi, Vincent M. (November 17, 1996). "FROM SCHOOLYARD LEGEND TO KID ON THE RUN : RICHIE ADAMS, EX-UNLV STAR AND AN NBA PROSPECT, NOW HIDES OUT FROM DRUG DEALERS". Daily News (Los Angeles). Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  7. ↑ Cyphers, Luke (October 20, 1996). "Richie To Rags From Nba Prospect To A Murder Suspect". New York Daily News . Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  8. ↑ "1985 NBA Draft". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  9. ↑ Steele, Ben (February 23, 2010). "Order Of The Court: Examining the history of basketball one game at a time → Fallen Stars". Blogspot. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.