Ronnie Lester
Encyclopedia
Ronnie Lester is an American sports figure in the areas of collegiate and professional basketball
.
, Lester grew up in Chicago
, Illinois
. He graduated Dunbar Vocational High School in 1976. Lester started on the varsity team as a 5'6" sophomore. In between seasons he grew to 6'2". He averaged ten points and ten assists per game in his junior campaign. As a senior, Lester averaged twenty-seven (27) points per game. The Dunbar "Mighty-Men" season came to an abrupt end by losing to Morgan Park. Lester was named to the All-City and All-State teams.
coach Lute Olson
, then of the University of Iowa
, was among the first to recognize Lester's talent. At Iowa, Lester was a four-year starter, earning All-America
n honors in 1979, and First Team All-Big Ten
honors in 1978 and 1979. He led the Iowa Hawkeyes
to a share of the 1979 Big Ten title and to the Final Four
of the 1980 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
.
In his senior season, Lester missed 15 Big Ten games due to a knee injury. At the time he left the lineup, Iowa was undefeated and ranked among the top ten teams in the nation. He returned to the Hawkeye lineup on March 1, 1980, for the final game of the regular season against the University of Illinois
. With the consent of Illinois Head Coach Lou Henson
, the Iowa Athletic Department delayed the game in order to hold a ceremony to retire Lester's jersey, and number (12). At that time, Lester already owned the Iowa records for scoring and assists. In addition to missing 15 games, Lester's assist record was all the more remarkable given that he shared playing time (and hence, ball touches) with two other players ranked among Iowa's top ten in career assists.
Nineteen regular season wins earned Iowa a five seed in the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament (then, a 36 team field). In the four tournament wins that took Iowa to the Final Four, Lester dished out 26 assists while committing only seven turnovers. He scored Iowa's first ten points in the semi-final game against Louisville, but after eight minutes of play reinjured his knee and left the game. In Lester's absence, Louisville bested Iowa by eight points and went on to win the tournament. Not counting the Louisville game, the 1980 Iowa Hawkeyes were 15-1 with Lester, and 8-9 without him.
Even after the further success Lute Olson enjoyed at the University of Arizona (including four Final Four appearances, a National Championship, and players like Mike Bibby
, Gilbert Arenas
, and Jason Terry
), Olson regards Lester as the best player he ever coached. Hall of Fame
r Earvin "Magic" Johnson
, who played two seasons at Michigan State University
, once claimed Lester the toughest opponent he ever faced in the Big Ten.
, selected by the Portland Trail Blazers
. He was immediately traded to the Chicago Bulls
, where he played four seasons. In 1985 and 1986 Lester was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers
, winning an NBA Championship in the first of those two seasons. Of his seven seasons as a player in the NBA, all but two were shortened by the recurring knee injury. In his best season (1982), he averaged 12 points, three rebounds, and five assists in 75 games for the Bulls (playing with Reggie Theus, Artis Gilmore
, David Greenwood
, Ricky Sobers
, and Orlando Woolridge
). In the 1987-88 NBA season
, Lester began working for the Lakers organization as a scout. He later served as the team's assistant general manager.
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...
.
High school career
Born in MississippiMississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, Lester grew up in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. He graduated Dunbar Vocational High School in 1976. Lester started on the varsity team as a 5'6" sophomore. In between seasons he grew to 6'2". He averaged ten points and ten assists per game in his junior campaign. As a senior, Lester averaged twenty-seven (27) points per game. The Dunbar "Mighty-Men" season came to an abrupt end by losing to Morgan Park. Lester was named to the All-City and All-State teams.
Collegiate career
Basketball Hall of FameBasketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
coach Lute Olson
Lute Olson
Robert Luther "Lute" Olson is a retired American men's basketball coach. He was most recently head coach at the University of Arizona for a period of 25 years. He was also head coach at the University of Iowa for 9 years and California State University, Long Beach for one season...
, then of the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
, was among the first to recognize Lester's talent. At Iowa, Lester was a four-year starter, earning All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n honors in 1979, and First Team All-Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
honors in 1978 and 1979. He led the Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes are the athletics teams that represent the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. The Hawkeyes have varsity teams in 24 sports, 11 for men and 13 for women. The teams participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and are members of the...
to a share of the 1979 Big Ten title and to the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
of the 1980 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
1980 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1980 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 6, 1980, and ended with the championship game on March 24 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
.
In his senior season, Lester missed 15 Big Ten games due to a knee injury. At the time he left the lineup, Iowa was undefeated and ranked among the top ten teams in the nation. He returned to the Hawkeye lineup on March 1, 1980, for the final game of the regular season against the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
. With the consent of Illinois Head Coach Lou Henson
Lou Henson
Lou Henson is a former college basketball coach. He retired as the all time leader in victories at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with 423 victories and New Mexico State with 289 victories...
, the Iowa Athletic Department delayed the game in order to hold a ceremony to retire Lester's jersey, and number (12). At that time, Lester already owned the Iowa records for scoring and assists. In addition to missing 15 games, Lester's assist record was all the more remarkable given that he shared playing time (and hence, ball touches) with two other players ranked among Iowa's top ten in career assists.
Nineteen regular season wins earned Iowa a five seed in the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament (then, a 36 team field). In the four tournament wins that took Iowa to the Final Four, Lester dished out 26 assists while committing only seven turnovers. He scored Iowa's first ten points in the semi-final game against Louisville, but after eight minutes of play reinjured his knee and left the game. In Lester's absence, Louisville bested Iowa by eight points and went on to win the tournament. Not counting the Louisville game, the 1980 Iowa Hawkeyes were 15-1 with Lester, and 8-9 without him.
Even after the further success Lute Olson enjoyed at the University of Arizona (including four Final Four appearances, a National Championship, and players like Mike Bibby
Mike Bibby
Michael "Mike" Bibby is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association. He is a 6'2" point guard, and he attended Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona and played collegiately at the University of Arizona. In...
, Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Jay Arenas, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . He plays as a point guard and shooting guard....
, and Jason Terry
Jason Terry
Jason Eugene Terry is an American professional basketball player playing with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. He plays shooting guard, although he also can play point guard. His nickname, "JET," derives from his initials...
), Olson regards Lester as the best player he ever coached. Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
r Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
, who played two seasons at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, once claimed Lester the toughest opponent he ever faced in the Big Ten.
Professional career
Lester was the 10th pick in the first round of the 1980 NBA Draft1980 NBA Draft
The 1980 NBA Draft was the 34th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 10, 1980, before the 1980–81 season. In this draft, 23 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
, selected by the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
. He was immediately traded to 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...
, where he played four seasons. In 1985 and 1986 Lester was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, winning an NBA Championship in the first of those two seasons. Of his seven seasons as a player in the NBA, all but two were shortened by the recurring knee injury. In his best season (1982), he averaged 12 points, three rebounds, and five assists in 75 games for the Bulls (playing with Reggie Theus, Artis Gilmore
Artis Gilmore
Artis Gilmore is a retired American Hall of Fame basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association...
, David Greenwood
David Greenwood
For the football player of the same name see David Greenwood .Dave Kasim Greenwood is a retired American professional basketball player whose NBA career spanned 12 years from 1979 to 1991. A forward/center, he played for the Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons...
, Ricky Sobers
Ricky Sobers
Ricky Brad Sobers is a former professional basketball player who spent eleven seasons in the NBA....
, and Orlando Woolridge
Orlando Woolridge
Orlando Vernada Woolridge is a former professional basketball player in the NBA.- Early life and education :...
). In the 1987-88 NBA season
1987-88 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls*Rookie of the Year: Mark Jackson, New York Knicks*Defensive Player of the Year: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls...
, Lester began working for the Lakers organization as a scout. He later served as the team's assistant general manager.
External links
- NBA stats @ basketballreference.com
- http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19940715/SPORTS11/50628018 - Des Moines Register Article 1994