While Rick Fox may be recognized for his acting in shows like Harlem, Oz, and Shameless, his notable career began as an NBA player with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. Fox started playing college basketball for the University of North Carolina, and shortly after found himself in the 1991 NBA draft.
Let’s take a closer look at the path that led Rick Fox to the Lakers and what he was up to after retiring from the league.
Rick Fox Early Life
Rick Fox was born Ulrich Alexander Fox on July 24, 1969 in Toronto, Canada. Fox and his parents moved to the Bahamas when he was young, where he attended Kingsway Academy in Nassau. He caught interest in basketball and began playing here, as well as Warsaw, Indiana where he trained to improve his basketball skills in hopes of becoming a professional.
Without the eligibility to play his senior year, Fox didn’t finish his high school career on the team, but still made it to the Indiana All-Star team in 1987. From there, he moved on to the University of North Carolina to play basketball as a Tarheel.
Rick Fox Basketball Career
Selected as the 24th overall pick in the second round of the 1991 NBA Draft, Fox began his basketball career with the Celtics. After being drafted by Boston, he made a name for himself right off the bat. He made the 1992 NBA All-Rookie Second Team, was the first rookie starter since Larry Bird, and made lots of headway on the team with his small forward skills and double-figure scoring abilities. He played with the team for six years.
In 1997, Rick Fox closed out his seasons with the Celtics and signed with the Lakers. Fox and the Lakers hit it off fairly quickly, as he played and started in all of the games during his first season with the team.
By the 1999-2000 season, Rick showcased his skills to the highest degree and helped his team to the NBA finals, averaging nearly 7 points per game. His efforts, along with the drive and determination of the rest of the team, landed them the NBA Championship.
But this wouldn’t be Rick’s last title – the following season, he had the same drive and earned his second consecutive NBA championship. Then in 2002, Fox and the Lakers did it again against the New Jersey Nets – earning yet another NBA championship and Rick’s third and final ring.
In 2004, the Lakers were back in the NBA Finals, but unable to pull a win out against the Detroit Pistons. Fox missed a lot of the games during this season due to injury.
At the end of the season, the Lakers traded Fox back to the Celtics, but instead of putting his green jersey back on, he decided to hang it up and retire from the game after his incredible 13-year stretch with the league.
Rick Fox Career Stats
During his time playing for the Celtics and the Lakers, here’s what Rick Fox’s stats came to by the end of his career:
- G: 930
- PTS: 9.6
- TRB: 3.8
- AST: 2.8
- FG%: 45.0
- FG3%: 34.9
- FT%: 77.0
- eFG%: 50.1
- PER: 13.6
- WS: 44.7
Rick Fox Acting Career
After retiring from the NBA, Rick Fox took his acting career to the next level. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Radio, Television, and Motion Pictures during his time at the University of North Carolina, and played a few roles during his time as a basketball player, including an appearance in Blue Chips, Eddie, and He Got Game. And in 1997, he earned his first major role in the HBO show Oz for 11 episodes.
Some of the other television and motion picture productions Fox starred in include:
- Resurrection
- 1-800-Missing
- The Fairly OddParents
- Holes
- Love, Inc.
- One Tree Hill
- Ugly Betty
- Big Bang Theory
- Mom
- Shameless
Beyond these acting gigs, Rick also starred in a few reality television shows, including Dancing with the Stars, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?,
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