Rony Seikaly

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Seikaly was born in Beirut, Lebanon. In 1979, at age 14, he moved to Athens, Greece. He attended and graduated from the American School (ACS Athens). As a youth, he played basketball, volleyball, association football, and track & field. At age 14, he began to DJ. In 1981, at age 16, Panathinaikos player Takis Koroneos noticed him after Seikaly bought sneakers in Koroneos' store. On Koroneos' recommendation, Seikaly joined Panathinaikos' senior team for training. In 1982, at age 17, he first played with the team in a Cyprus tournament. He trained with Panathinaikos until 1983 but could not play in the Greek Basket League because he lacked a Greek passport (foreign players were not allowed until 1988). In 1983, he moved to the United States to attend Syracuse University. He led Syracuse to the 1987 NCAA championship finals against Indiana. He was an All-American and named to the John R. Wooden All-American Team. He graduated as Syracuse's all-time leading rebounder, second in blocked shots, and fourth in scoring. He was only the second player ever to record 1,000 points and rebounds at Syracuse. He was named to the Orange's All 20th Century Team. His number 4 jersey has been retired and raised to the rafters at the Carrier Dome.

In Their Own Story

In the 1991–92 season, Seikaly averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds, guiding the Miami Heat to 38 wins and their first-ever playoff berth. Facing the defending champion Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan, the Heat were swept in three games, but Seikaly fought hard, averaging 19.1 points and 9.2 rebounds in the series. The following year, his scoring climbed to 17.3 points per game. During the week of March 7, he averaged a staggering 30 points and 20 rebounds, earning NBA Player of the Week honors. In the 1994 playoffs against Atlanta, Seikaly set single-game franchise records with 8 blocks and 34 rebounds. His nickname "The Spin Doctor" stuck as he carved out a reputation as one of the league's most formidable centers.

Reader's Guide

Seikaly was drafted by the Miami Heat with the 9th pick in the first round of the 1988 NBA draft, becoming the franchise's first college draft pick and the first Lebanon-born NBA player. In his second season, he led the Heat in points (16.6), rebounds (10.4), and blocks (1.7), placing sixth in league rebounding, and won the NBA Most Improved Player Award. In 1990–91, he averaged 11.1 rebounds and 16 points. In 1991–92, he averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds (6th in league) as the Heat reached their first playoffs, losing to the Chicago Bulls. In 1992–93, he averaged 17.3 points and 11.8 rebounds (8th in league) and won NBA Player of the Week after averaging 30 points and 20 rebounds for the week of March 7. In 1993–94, he averaged 15.1 points and 10.3 rebounds. He set franchise single-game records for blocks (8), rebounds (34), and double-doubles. His career highs with the Heat are 40 points, 34 rebounds, 8 blocks, 8 assists, and 5 steals. On November 2, 1994, he was traded to the Golden State Warriors for Billy Owens and Sasha Danilović. In 1994–95, he averaged 12 points and 7 rebounds in 36 games. In 1995–96, he averaged 12 points and 7.8 rebounds in 64 games. In November 1996, he was traded to the Orlando Magic with Clifford Rozier and a 1999 second-round pick. With Orlando, he averaged 17.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks, leading the team in rebounds and blocks. The Magic made the playoffs as the 7th seed, losing to Miami. In February 1998, a trade to Utah was rescinded due to Seikaly's refusal to report; he was then traded to the New Jersey Nets with Brian Evans for Yinka Dare, David Benoit, Kevin Edwards, and a first-round pick. He averaged 16 points and 9.5 rebounds in Orlando. With the Nets, a career-ending foot injury limited him to 9 games in 1997–98 and 9 games in 1998–99. He finished his NBA career with averages of 14.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. In 2000, he played for FC Barcelona in the Spanish ACB League, averaging 15.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks in three games. In the EuroLeague, he averaged 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks in four games. He trained with the senior Greece national team in 1983 but could not represent them officially due to lacking a Greek passport.

Did You Know?

• Seikaly was the first-ever draft pick in Miami Heat history.
• He was nicknamed 'The Spin Doctor' for his trademark low-post spin moves.
• He has released over 50 tracks that entered the Top 100 charts as a house music producer and DJ.
• He performed at Circoloco in Ibiza and Space Miami.
• He set a Miami Heat single-game record with 34 rebounds.