 Strickland as an assistant coach for theKentucky Wildcats in 2009 | |
| LIU Sharks | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| League | Northeast Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1966-07-11)July 11, 1966 (age 59) The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| College | DePaul (1985–1988) |
| NBA draft | 1988: 1st round, 19th overall pick |
| Drafted by | New York Knicks |
| Playing career | 1988–2005 |
| Position | Point guard /shooting guard |
| Number | 11, 1, 31 |
| Coaching career | 2014–present |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1988–1990 | New York Knicks |
| 1990–1992 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1992–1996 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1996–2001 | Washington Bullets / Wizards |
| 2001 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2001–2002 | Miami Heat |
| 2002–2003 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2003–2004 | Orlando Magic |
| 2004 | Toronto Raptors |
| 2005 | Houston Rockets |
Coaching | |
| 2014–2017 | South Florida (assistant) |
| 2022–present | Long Island |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 14,463 (13.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 4,084 (3.7 rpg) |
| Assists | 7,987 (7.3 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Rodney Strickland (born July 11, 1966) is an Americanbasketball coach and former professional player. He is currently the head coach atLong Island University.[1] Prior to LIU, he served as the program manager for theNBA G League's professional path.[2] Strickland playedcollege basketball for theDePaul Blue Demons, earningAll-American honors. He had a long career in theNational Basketball Association (NBA), playing from 1988 to 2005. Strickland was an assistant coach for theSouth Florida Bulls, underOrlando Antigua from 2014 to 2017.[3] He formerly served in an administrative role for theUniversity of Kentuckybasketball team under head coachJohn Calipari and was the director of basketball operations at theUniversity of Memphis under Calipari. He is the godfather of current NBA playerKyrie Irving.[4][5]Strickland was inducted into theNew York City Basketball Hall of Fame with the Class of 2008.
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A native of theBronx, Strickland played for the New York Gauchos. While a junior he ledTruman High School inCo-Op City to the state championship and was ranked as one of the top 10 high school recruits in the nation.[citation needed] As a senior, he transferred toOak Hill Academy inVirginia.
Strickland became a college star atDePaul University where he appeared in 87 games. As a junior, he was a First TeamAll-American after averaging 20.0 points and 7.8 assists. A 1987 and 1988 All-America pick, Strickland helped lead the Blue Demons to three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1985–86 to 1987–88, including Sweet Sixteen showings in 1986 and 1987. He ranks among the program's career leaders in scoring average (8th; 16.6 ppg), assists (3rd; 557) and steals (2nd; 204). He also averaged 3.4 rebounds while shooting 53.4% during his college career.
He was selected in the first round of the1988 NBA draft by his hometownNew York Knicks, where he backed uppoint guardMark Jackson, the1988NBA Rookie of the Year. Nevertheless, Jackson and Strickland shared time that season. Strickland played in all 82 games and averaged 8.9 points and 3.9 assists in 16.8 minutes per game where he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
The Knicks dealt Strickland to theSan Antonio Spurs for veteranMaurice Cheeks in the middle of the1989–1990 season.[6] Strickland flourished in San Antonio. The Spurs went 18–6 with him in the starting lineup. He led the Spurs in assists 26 times and averaged 12.3 points and 11.2 assists in 10playoff games.
In the1990–91 season Strickland lived up to his expectations as an exciting performer when he was healthy. He missed 24 games that year because of a sore ankle and a broken bone in his right hand. In the 58 games he played, Strickland averaged 13.8 points and 8.0 assists, shooting .482 from the field and .763 from thefree throw line. He led the Spurs in assists 46 times and in steals 30 times. Strickland finished the year tied withTerry Porter for 12th in the NBA in assists. In a four-game series loss to theGolden State Warriors in the first round of the1991 NBA playoffs, he posted 18.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 2.25 steals in 42.0 minutes per game.
Starting the1991–92 NBA season in a contract dispute with the Spurs management, Strickland did not play in the first 24 games of the season. He finally signed on December 23, then started 54 of 57 games and averaged 13.8 points, 8.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.07 steals in 36.0 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 48 times and scored 20 or more points on eight occasions. He notched a then career-high 28 points against theIndiana Pacers on February 6 and made a career-high 19 assists versus theMinnesota Timberwolves on March 3. Strickland started two playoff games against thePhoenix Suns before missing the third with a broken bone in his left hand. The Suns swept the series in three games.
Before the start of the 1992–93 season, Strickland signed as a free agent with thePortland Trail Blazers.
On April 5, 1994, Strickland set a Trail Blazers record with 20 assists in a single game, during a 135–113 win over thePhoenix Suns.[7][8]
On January 24, 1995, Strickland set a career high with 36 points scored, on 15-21 shooting from the field, in a 105–99 loss to the Knicks.[9] During that year's playoffs, Strickland averaged 23.3 points and 12.3 assists per game in a first round loss to the Suns.[10]
On April 5, 1996, Strickland scored 27 points and recorded 12 assists in a 110-102 Game 1 loss to theUtah Jazz.[11] The Trail Blazers eventually lost the series 3–2, and the series was contested until Game 5, when Strickland scored only 10 points while missing 11 of his 16 shots, as the Jazz won 102–64.[12]
Despite regular season success in Portland, Strickland and the Trail Blazers never advanced out of the first round in the playoffs.[13] In four seasons with the Blazers, Strickland averaged 17 points and 8.6 assists per game.
Strickland and teammateHarvey Grant were traded to the Washington Bullets forRasheed Wallace andMitchell Butler in 1996. In his first season in Washington, Strickland averaged 17.2 ppg and 8.9 apg helping the Bullets make the playoffs in 1997 for the first time in 8 seasons.
In 1997–98, Strickland had the best season of his career as he averaged 17.8 ppg and a league leading 10.5 apg. During the year, Strickland also became only the 25th player in NBA history to record 10,000 points and 5,000 assists. Strickland was selected to the second All-NBA team. While his individual stats improved over the next few seasons for the Wizards, the team got worse, leading to a buyout of his contract.
Strickland returned to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2001. He finished his playing career with theMiami Heat,Minnesota Timberwolves,Orlando Magic,Toronto Raptors, and theHouston Rockets. He played in 1,094 games (740 starts) and scored over 14,000 points and tallied nearly 8,000 assists. He also ranked among the NBA's top 10 in assists per game in 1991–92 (5th), 1993–94 (6th), 1994–95 (5th), 1995–96 (4th), 1996–97 (5th), 1997–98 (1st), and 1998–99 (2nd).
Strickland averaged 13.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 30.7 minutes of floor time per game.[14]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988–89 | New York | 81 | 10 | 16.8 | .467 | .322 | .745 | 2.0 | 3.9 | 1.2 | .0 | 8.9 |
| 1989–90 | New York | 51 | 0 | 20.0 | .440 | .286 | .638 | 2.5 | 4.3 | 1.4 | .2 | 8.4 |
| San Antonio | 31 | 24 | 36.2 | .468 | .222 | .615 | 4.3 | 8.0 | 1.8 | .2 | 14.2 | |
| 1990–91 | San Antonio | 58 | 56 | 35.8 | .482 | .333 | .763 | 3.8 | 8.0 | 2.0 | .2 | 13.8 |
| 1991–92 | San Antonio | 57 | 54 | 36.0 | .455 | .333 | .687 | 4.6 | 8.6 | 2.1 | .3 | 13.8 |
| 1992–93 | Portland | 78 | 35 | 31.7 | .485 | .133 | .717 | 4.3 | 7.2 | 1.7 | .3 | 13.7 |
| 1993–94 | Portland | 82 | 58 | 35.2 | .483 | .200 | .749 | 4.5 | 9.0 | 1.8 | .3 | 17.2 |
| 1994–95 | Portland | 64 | 61 | 35.4 | .466 | .374 | .745 | 5.0 | 8.8 | 1.9 | .1 | 18.9 |
| 1995–96 | Portland | 67 | 63 | 37.7 | .460 | .342 | .652 | 4.4 | 9.6 | 1.4 | .2 | 18.7 |
| 1996–97 | Washington | 82 | 81 | 36.5 | .466 | .169 | .738 | 4.1 | 8.9 | 1.7 | .2 | 17.2 |
| 1997–98 | Washington | 76 | 76 | 39.7 | .434 | .250 | .726 | 5.3 | 10.5* | 1.7 | .3 | 17.8 |
| 1998–99 | Washington | 44 | 43 | 37.1 | .416 | .286 | .746 | 4.8 | 9.9 | 1.7 | .1 | 15.7 |
| 1999–00 | Washington | 69 | 67 | 31.7 | .429 | .048 | .702 | 3.8 | 7.5 | 1.4 | .3 | 12.6 |
| 2000–01 | Washington | 33 | 28 | 30.9 | .426 | .250 | .782 | 3.2 | 7.0 | 1.3 | .1 | 12.2 |
| Portland | 21 | 0 | 16.7 | .418 | .000 | .577 | 1.7 | 3.4 | .5 | .0 | 4.6 | |
| 2001–02 | Miami | 76 | 64 | 30.2 | .443 | .308 | .766 | 3.1 | 6.1 | 1.1 | .1 | 10.4 |
| 2002–03 | Minnesota | 47 | 8 | 20.3 | .432 | .091 | .738 | 2.0 | 4.6 | 1.0 | .1 | 6.8 |
| 2003–04 | Orlando | 46 | 9 | 19.9 | .454 | .303 | .750 | 2.6 | 4.0 | .6 | .2 | 6.8 |
| Toronto | 15 | 1 | 18.8 | .333 | .000 | .682 | 2.5 | 3.9 | .5 | .3 | 4.7 | |
| 2004–05 | Houston | 16 | 2 | 12.3 | .209 | .500 | .900 | 1.7 | 2.4 | .2 | .1 | 1.8 |
| Career | 1,094 | 740 | 30.7 | .454 | .282 | .721 | 3.7 | 7.3 | 1.5 | .1 | 10.2 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | New York | 9 | 0 | 12.3 | .449 | 1.000 | .529 | 1.4 | 2.8 | .4 | .1 | 6.0 |
| 1990 | San Antonio | 10 | 10 | 38.4 | .425 | .000 | .556 | 5.3 | 11.2 | 1.4 | .0 | 12.3 |
| 1991 | San Antonio | 4 | 4 | 42.0 | .433 | .000 | .810 | 5.3 | 8.8 | 2.3 | .0 | 18.8 |
| 1992 | San Antonio | 2 | 2 | 40.0 | .591 | — | .625 | 3.5 | 9.5 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 15.5 |
| 1993 | Portland | 4 | 4 | 39.0 | .423 | .000 | .833 | 6.5 | 9.3 | 1.3 | .5 | 13.5 |
| 1994 | Portland | 4 | 4 | 38.5 | .500 | .000 | .815 | 4.0 | 9.8 | 1.0 | .5 | 23.5 |
| 1995 | Portland | 3 | 3 | 42.0 | .415 | .400 | .778 | 4.0 | 12.3 | 1.0 | .7 | 23.3 |
| 1996 | Portland | 5 | 5 | 40.4 | .440 | .500 | .639 | 6.2 | 8.4 | 1.0 | .0 | 20.6 |
| 1997 | Washington | 3 | 3 | 41.3 | .423 | .500 | .737 | 6.0 | 8.3 | 1.0 | .0 | 19.7 |
| 2001 | Portland | 2 | 0 | 9.5 | .333 | — | .667 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 4.0 |
| 2003 | Minnesota | 6 | 0 | 12.2 | .524 | — | 1.000 | 1.0 | 2.8 | .7 | .3 | 4.7 |
| Career | 52 | 35 | 30.7 | .446 | .286 | .706 | 4.0 | 7.5 | 1.1 | .2 | 13.4 | |
In September 2008, Strickland was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame along with NBA starsKenny Anderson andSam Perkins, coachPete Gillen and pioneersLou Bender and Eddie Younger.[15]
Strickland started his coaching career as director of basketball operations at theUniversity of Memphis, taking over the job held by former NBA playerMilt Wagner.[16]Strickland was hired as an assistant coach at USF under former Kentucky assistant coach Orlando Antigua from 2014 to 2017.
He worked served in an administrative role at the University of Kentucky under Coach John Calipari.[17]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIU Sharks(Northeast Conference)(2022–present) | |||||||||
| 2022–23 | LIU | 3–26 | 1–15 | 9th | |||||
| 2023–24 | LIU | 7–22 | 6–10 | 7th | |||||
| 2024–25 | LIU | 17–16 | 12–4 | 2nd | |||||
| 2025–26 | LIU | 3–2 | 0–0 | ||||||
| LIU: | 30–66 (.313) | 19–29 (.396) | |||||||
| Total: | 30–66 (.313) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
Strickland is the godfather of the2011 NBA draft first overall pick and 2012 Rookie of the YearKyrie Irving.[18] Strickland's son, Tai, played college basketball forGeorgia Southern (2022–23) after previously playing forWisconsin (2018–19) andTemple (2020–21 &2021–22). His son Terell played forJames Madison (2020–). Strickland also has a daughter.[19]
In 1997, while Strickland was playing for the Washington Wizards, he was arrested in Washington D.C and charged with a DUI and disorderly conduct. He pled guilty to driving while impaired.[20] In 1999, he was arrested again for reckless driving and DUI; he failed field sobriety tests and refused a Breathalyzer test. Strickland was acquitted at trial. In 2000, he was arrested for disorderly conduct at a D.C. club. He was arrested a third time for DUI in January 2001, for which he pled guilty and spent 10 days in jail.[21][22]
On September 11, 2001, Strickland and singerChico DeBarge had criminal complaints for assault filed against them after a fight outside a TGI Friday's in Maryland.[23][24] Strickland's portion of the case was dismissed in 2004.