Glen Rice

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Lore & Background

Rice was traded to the Charlotte Hornets days before the start of the 1995–96 season, along with Matt Geiger, in exchange for Alonzo Mourning. He played for the Hornets from 1995 to 1999. During his tenure, Rice was a three-time NBA All-Star (1996, 1997, 1998) and won the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award in 1997. He led the Hornets to the playoffs in 1997 and 1998, with the team winning a playoff series in 1998 against the Atlanta Hawks before losing to the Chicago Bulls. Rice was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on March 10, 1999.

In Their Own Story

The 1997 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland became the defining moment of Rice's time with Charlotte. As the Eastern Conference guard, he found himself in a rhythm no one could stop. In the third quarter alone, he poured in 20 points, shattering Hal Greer's record set in 1968. He followed that surge by scoring 24 points in the second half, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain and Tom Chambers for the most points ever recorded in a single All-Star half. Finishing with 26 total points on efficient 8-of-11 shooting, Rice captivated the crowd and the league. His performance was so dominant it was later listed among the NBA's 57 Memorable All-Star Moments. This night cemented his status not just as a Charlotte star, but as one of the premier shooters in basketball history.

Reader's Guide

Rice's jersey number 41 has not been retired by the Hornets franchise. The Hornets' first playoff series victory was in 1993 against the Boston Celtics, but Rice was not on the team at that time.

Did You Know?

• Rice scored a career-high 56 points in a 1995 game against the Orlando Magic while with the Charlotte Hornets.
• Rice set an NBA All-Star Game record with 20 points in the third quarter in 1997.
• Rice is Michigan's all-time leading scorer with 2,442 points.
• Rice was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.