Isaiah “J.R.” Rider, the 1994 NBA slam dunk champion, who also won a championship ring in 2001 near the end of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, is joining Phoenix Hillcrest Prep’s basketball program. Nick Weaver, co-founder of the program, said that Rider, 48, will be part of the national high school team’s coaching staff and will be skills development director.
JR Rider Rumors
Jon Krawczynski: Very warm ovation for J.R. Rider, being honored here as part of Wolves’ 30th anniversary
The BIG3, the highly anticipated 3-on-3 professional basketball league, announced today Latrell Sprewell, J.R. Rider, Earl Boykins, Brian Cook and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf as the latest signings to its Draft player pool. Sprewell, Rider, Boykins, Cook and Abdul-Rauf join Kenny Anderson, Smush Parker, Jamario Moon, Ruben Patterson, and Etan Thomas as the first players signed to the upcoming draft. The BIG3 will announce new signings each Monday leading up to the Draft. Last week, the BIG3 also announced the name of the second team: Trilogy. Co-captained by Kenyon Martin and Al Harrington, Trilogy joins the 3 Headed Monsters as the first BIG3 teams.
Brian Shaw: J.R. had been a star in Minnesota and Portland. He was the go-to scorer. He also had played some really good games against the Lakers. So he came in with a lot of confidence. So one day in practice, J.R. says to Kobe, “Don’t get it twisted. I’m a star too, and I used to give you buckets.” So Kobe says, “Man, you really think you could take me? Alright, after practice, me and you. One-on-one.” J.R. says, “O.K., I ain’t no punk. Let’s go.”
Who was the toughest player for you to guard during your career? DA: There was a couple. When I played it was tough. I was a tough guard but think about it, you had these shooting guards: Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, Mitch Richmond, Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Steve Smith, JR Rider… Just naming those guys, you knew you had a tough night every night and if you watched on TV you said ‘Man, this is a great game!’ Now you can’t name me five apart from Kobe [Bryant], [James] Harden and maybe Joe Johnson… It was fun back then. Mario Elie, Allen Iverson was a two-guard back then… There was a bunch of talent. Now? There’s nothing.
Former NBA Slam Dunk champion Isaiah “J.R.” Rider is a total flake who blew off his required domestic violence classes and failed to complete 90 hours of community service … this according to court docs obtained by TMZ. Rider — who was arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife last year — was busted in Arizona for violating his probation Tuesday … but in court, he had no idea what he did wrong. According to the docs, Rider completely ignored his probation requirements — which included 100 hours of community service, (he only did 10), completion of domestic violence classes, submitting to a urinalysis test and paying fines.
Rider says Isaiah got permission from the court to apply to travel to L.A. to explore job opportunities as a basketball coach, but the P.O. has refused to sign off on it … insisting he work at a local McDonald’s, or a similar local establishment during his probation. Vanessa says, “He’s not going to work at McDonald’s … he’s a retired athlete.”
