Ron Mercer
Encyclopedia
Ronald Eugene Mercer (born May 18, 1976) is a former American basketball
player at the University of Kentucky
who also had a career in the National Basketball Association
; the last time he played was for the New Jersey Nets
in 2005.
while at Goodpasture Christian School in Madison, Tennessee
. He then transferred to Oak Hill Academy
in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia
, and was rated by Bob Gibbons to be the best prep player of the class of 1995, over Kevin Garnett
, Vince Carter
, Antwan Jamison and Stephon Marbury
.
Mercer had a very successful collegiate career, having been an All-American and all-Southeastern Conference
player at Kentucky, and part of a national championship team in his freshman year. He was selected with the 6th overall pick of the 1997 NBA Draft
by the Boston Celtics
and was reunited with Rick Pitino
, his coach at Kentucky who had just become the coach of the Celtics. Prior to Mercer's drafting, Pitino was recorded as saying that he did not envisage Mercer as having the necessary talent to be selected very high. Some felt this was just a ploy to scare the other teams away from him so as to increase the likelihood of Mercer being available by the time the Celtics got an opportunity to make their draft selection.
After two seasons in Boston, Mercer was traded by the Celtics along with Popeye Jones
and Dwayne Schintzius
to the Denver Nuggets
for Danny Fortson
, Eric Williams, Eric Washington
and a future draft choice. He played 37 games for Denver in 1999-2000, then played the final 31 games that season with the Orlando Magic
due to a trade.
He left after that season, the next year signing as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls
. He averaged 19.7 points per game in his first year with them.
Despite Mercer's 16.8 points per game in 2001-02, he was traded midway through the season with Brad Miller
, Ron Artest
(now known as Metta World Peace) and Kevin Ollie
to the Indiana Pacers
for Jalen Rose
, Travis Best
, Norman Richardson
, and a second-round draft pick. In Indiana he served merely as a reserve player, and his play declined rapidly over his one-and-a-half season stint with the club.
Before the 2003-04 season
, he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs
in a three-team trade that again involved Brad Miller
and the Sacramento Kings
' Hedo Türkoğlu. After playing 39 games with the Spurs, he was released. Prior to the 2004-05 season
, he signed with his seventh NBA team, the New Jersey Nets
.
On August 15, 2005, prior to the 2005-06 NBA season
, Mercer was waived by the Nets to avoid the league's luxury tax as part of the new labor agreement. He has not played in the league since.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
who also had a career in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
; the last time he played was for the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in 2005.
Basketball career
Ron Mercer was twice named "Mr. Basketball" of TennesseeTennessee Mr. Basketball Award
Each year the Tennessee Mr. Basketball award is given to the person chosen as the best high school boys basketball player in the U.S. state of Tennessee by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. A Mr. Basketball is named for each of five divisions competing in Tennessee boy's...
while at Goodpasture Christian School in Madison, Tennessee
Madison, Tennessee
Madison, Tennessee is a neighborhood in northeast Nashville, Tennessee in the United States. It is incorporated as part of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County....
. He then transferred to Oak Hill Academy
Oak Hill Academy (Virginia)
Oak Hill Academy is a co-educational, private Baptist-affiliated secondary school in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, United States. Oak Hill's enrollment of approximately 150 students is 98% boarders, serving grades 8–12...
in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and was rated by Bob Gibbons to be the best prep player of the class of 1995, over Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
, Vince Carter
Vince Carter
Vincent Lamar "Vince" Carter is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns. He is a shooting guard who can also play small forward....
, Antwan Jamison and Stephon Marbury
Stephon Marbury
Stephon Xavier Marbury is an American professional basketball player.The , point guard was selected out of the Georgia Institute of Technology by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 4th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, but was traded shortly thereafter to the Minnesota Timberwolves.He was an NBA...
.
Mercer had a very successful collegiate career, having been an All-American and all-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
player at Kentucky, and part of a national championship team in his freshman year. He was selected with the 6th overall pick of the 1997 NBA Draft
1997 NBA Draft
The 1997 NBA Draft took place on June 25, 1997 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although the Celtics had the second worst record in the 1996-97 season and the best odds of winning the lottery with two picks, the Spurs, usually a model of winning and consistency, lost David Robinson to an injury early...
by the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
and was reunited with Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach. Since 2001, he has been the head coach at the University of Louisville. He has also served as head coach at Boston University, Providence College and the University of Kentucky, leading that program to the NCAA championship in 1996...
, his coach at Kentucky who had just become the coach of the Celtics. Prior to Mercer's drafting, Pitino was recorded as saying that he did not envisage Mercer as having the necessary talent to be selected very high. Some felt this was just a ploy to scare the other teams away from him so as to increase the likelihood of Mercer being available by the time the Celtics got an opportunity to make their draft selection.
After two seasons in Boston, Mercer was traded by the Celtics along with Popeye Jones
Popeye Jones
Ronald Jerome "Popeye" Jones is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. He is now an assistant coach for the New Jersey Nets....
and Dwayne Schintzius
Dwayne Schintzius
Dwayne Kenneth Schintzius is a former American college and professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Florida, and was selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 1990 NBA Draft...
to the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
for Danny Fortson
Danny Fortson
Daniel Anthony Fortson is an American former professional basketball player. He played power forward/center in the NBA from 1997 to 2007.-Early life:...
, Eric Williams, Eric Washington
Eric Washington
Eric Maurice Washington is an American basketball player.He was selected in the 1997 NBA Draft as the 48th overall pick by the Orlando Magic, and appeared for the Denver Nuggets during two seasons, from 1997 to 1999...
and a future draft choice. He played 37 games for Denver in 1999-2000, then played the final 31 games that season with the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
due to a trade.
He left after that season, the next year signing as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
. He averaged 19.7 points per game in his first year with them.
Despite Mercer's 16.8 points per game in 2001-02, he was traded midway through the season with Brad Miller
Brad Miller (basketball)
Bradley Alan Miller is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA...
, Ron Artest
Ron Artest
Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
(now known as Metta World Peace) and Kevin Ollie
Kevin Ollie
Kevin Jermaine Ollie is an American former professional basketball player. He played for eleven National Basketball Association franchises in thirteen seasons...
to the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
for Jalen Rose
Jalen Rose
Jalen Anthony Rose is a retired American professional basketball player, who currently works as a sports analyst for the sports television network ESPN...
, Travis Best
Travis Best
Travis Eric Best is an American former professional basketball player, who played in the NBA and in Europe.-High school career:...
, Norman Richardson
Norman Richardson
Charles Norman Richardson is an American professional basketball player. A 6'5" 190/200 lb shooting guard, played college basketball at Hofstra University and had a brief stint in the NBA in 2001-02....
, and a second-round draft pick. In Indiana he served merely as a reserve player, and his play declined rapidly over his one-and-a-half season stint with the club.
Before the 2003-04 season
2003-04 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves*Rookie of the Year: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers*Defensive Player of the Year: Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers...
, he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
in a three-team trade that again involved Brad Miller
Brad Miller (basketball)
Bradley Alan Miller is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA...
and the Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
' Hedo Türkoğlu. After playing 39 games with the Spurs, he was released. Prior to the 2004-05 season
2004-05 NBA season
The 2004–05 NBA season was the 59th season of the National Basketball Association . It began on November 2, 2004 and ended June 23, 2005. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs defeating defending champion Detroit Pistons 4–3 in the NBA Finals....
, he signed with his seventh NBA team, the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
On August 15, 2005, prior to the 2005-06 NBA season
2005-06 NBA season
The 2005–06 NBA season was the 60th season of the National Basketball Association. It began on November 1, 2005 and ran through April 19, 2006...
, Mercer was waived by the Nets to avoid the league's luxury tax as part of the new labor agreement. He has not played in the league since.