Glen Rice

Three-time NBA All-Star and 2000 NBA champion who led Michigan to the 1989 NCAA title.

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 played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines, and was selected by the Miami Heat with the fourth overall pick in the 1989 NBA draft. He won an NCAA championship in 1989 and an NBA championship in 2000. In recent years, Rice has taken up mixed martial arts fight promotion as owner of G-Force Fights based in Miami, Florida, and is an NBA scout and team ambassador for the Miami Heat. He is the father of Glen Rice Jr.

Quick Facts

Born: 28 May 1967
Birthplace: Jacksonville, Arkansas, U.S.
High school: Flint Northwestern (Flint, Michigan)
College: Michigan (1985–1989)
Draft round: 1
Draft pick: 4
Drafted by: Miami Heat
Career number: 41

Lore & Background

Glen Rice was born on May 28, 1967, in Jacksonville, Arkansas, and moved to Benton, Arkansas as an infant. He attended Angie Grant and Howard Perrin elementary schools in Benton. At age 12, his family moved to Flint, Michigan. He starred at Flint Northwestern High School, leading the varsity basketball teams to a combined 55-1 record and consecutive Class A Michigan state titles in 1984 and 1985. After graduating in 1985, he enrolled at the University of Michigan. Rice played four seasons for the Wolverines (1985–1989), starting three. He became the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,442 points. He led Michigan to the 1989 NCAA championship, scoring an NCAA-record 184 points in tournament play, a record that still stands. He was named tournament Most Outstanding Player and was an Associated Press All-America second-team selection, averaging 25.6 points per game while shooting 58% from the floor and 52% from three-point range. After his junior year, he tried out for the 1988 U.S. Olympic team but was cut before the group of 48. His No. 41 jersey was retired at Michigan's Crisler Arena on February 20, 2005. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated on April 10, 1989. In 2026, Rice was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, becoming the third Wolverine to earn the honor, joining John Beilein and Cazzie Russell. He ranks among Michigan's all-time leaders in several categories, including first in career points (2,442), single-season points (949 in 1988–89), single-season field goals made (363 in 1988–89), single-season field goal attempts (629 in 1988–89), and single-season three-point field goal percentage (51.6% in 1988–89). He is second in career field goals made (1,003) and single-season three-point field goals made (99 in 1988–89).

Reader's Guide

Rice was selected fourth overall in the 1989 NBA draft by the Miami Heat. He played for the Heat from 1989 to 1995, averaging 13.6 points per game as a rookie, then 17.4, 22.3, 19.0, 21.1, and 22.3 points per game in subsequent seasons. He led the Heat to their first playoff appearance in 1992 and their first playoff win in 1994. In the 1994–95 season, he won the NBA All-Star Long Distance Shootout and scored a career-high 56 points against the Orlando Magic. He was traded to the Charlotte Hornets before the 1995–96 season. With the Hornets, he averaged 21.6 points per game in 1995–96, 26.8 in 1996–97 (third in the league), and 22.3 in 1997–98. He was an All-Star in 1996, 1997, and 1998, and won the All-Star Game MVP in 1997. The Hornets reached the playoffs in 1997 and 1998, winning a series in 1998. On March 10, 1999, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. With the Lakers, he averaged 18 points per game in the 1999 playoffs and won an NBA championship in 2000.