Glen Rice Jr.

Glen Rice Jr.
Born	(1991-01-01) January 1, 1991 United States
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Known for	Basketball career in NBA and international leagues

Glen Anthony Rice Jr. (born January 1, 1991) is a professional basketball athlete from the United States. Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2013 NBA draft, he was promptly traded to the Washington Wizards. Rice competed at the collegiate level for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets but was removed from the team during his junior year. He is the son of former NBA All-Star Glen Rice.

During his junior year of high school at George Walton Comprehensive High School, Rice earned the title of Cobb County player of the year and received All-State recognition in both his junior and senior seasons. After being expelled from Georgia Tech amid allegations related to a shooting incident, he joined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA Development League (D-League), where he played a pivotal role in securing the 2013 D-League championship. He was honored as MVP in the 2018 Israeli State Cup and finished as the top scorer in the Israeli League that same season.

High school career

Rice was named the 2008 Cobb County boys' basketball player of the year by the Marietta Daily Journal during his junior year and received third-team (honorable mention) All-State honors from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Upon signing his National Letter of Intent in November 2008, he was characterized as a late-developing talent. In his senior year, he achieved Class AAAAA All-State accolades, earning second-team honors from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and first-team recognition from the Georgia Sportswriters Association.

National recruiting services ranked Rice among the leading shooting guards in 2009: 13th by Rivals.com, 32nd by Scout.com, and 35th by ESPN. Despite his father's NBA prominence, the University of Michigan did not pursue him until after he committed to Georgia Tech. Rice was part of Georgia Tech’s 21st-ranked recruiting cohort, which also included Derrick Favors.

While Georgia Tech credits Rice with guiding his high school team to a state basketball championship during his senior year, official records from the Georgia High School Association indicate that his team did not secure a state title that season. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution confirms that his squad was eliminated in the second round of the Class AAAAA tournament.

College career

Rice started his freshman year primarily coming off the bench but eventually became a starter, participating in all but one game for the 2009–10 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team. He reached double figures in scoring six times, including during the second round of the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament against Ohio State. On March 2, 2010, versus Clemson, he achieved season highs with 17 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Rice started each of the final eleven games that season and was named to the ACC All-Academic team. Although he garnered some votes for ACC Rookie of the Year, he did not make the five-player ACC All-Rookie squad.

In his sophomore campaign, Rice recorded six games scoring over 20 points but also experienced three scoreless contests despite significant playing time. He started 23 out of 31 games and ranked second on his team across several statistical categories: minutes played, points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Within the ACC, he placed 17th in scoring and sixth in steals. Rice posted three double-doubles with rebounds exceeding ten each time. Early in that season, he scored back-to-back 20-point games against North Carolina and Wake Forest. His season highs included 12 rebounds against Maryland and 28 points versus Miami. However, Coach Paul Hewitt suspended him for disciplinary reasons during the final three games.

After the departure of Iman Shumpert to the NBA following the 2011 NBA draft, Rice entered the 2011–12 season as Georgia Tech's top returning scorer. He faced a three-game suspension at the start of that season for an undisclosed violation but returned as a key sixth man. Once reinstated to the starting lineup on December 3, he notched his first double-double of that year with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks. He added two additional double-doubles later in December. Despite missing three games due to suspension, Rice was among ACC leaders in several statistical categories—points, rebounds, blocks, steals per game—and maintained a strong field goal percentage after December.

On December 29, Rice had a scoreless outing but rebounded with a career-tying performance of 28 points and eight rebounds against #3-ranked Duke on January 7. He followed this with another 20-point game on January 11 versus NC State. Injuries hampered his play through late January and early February. After a brief return to action, he faced an indefinite suspension due to non-basketball-related issues—his second suspension that season and third overall.

Coach Brian Gregory dismissed Rice from Georgia Tech on March 13 following charges related to driving under the influence and discharging a firearm while intoxicated. Gregory indicated he would not impede Rice's transfer to another institution. Subsequent to his dismissal, CBS Sports included Rice among their top twenty potential transfer candidates nationwide.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2012–2013)

Rice was selected in the fourth round of the November 2, 2012 NBA Development League draft by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He secured a place on the opening night roster and made his debut on November 23 facing the Bakersfield Jam. During the early part of the season, his playing time was limited, accumulating just 147 minutes across the first 22 games. On February 4, Rice achieved career-best numbers, scoring 35 points and grabbing 15 rebounds against the Springfield Armor. He also took part in the 2013 D-League Dream Factory Dunk Contest held prior to the NBA All-Star Game.

In March, Rice delivered several standout performances: on March 5, he recorded 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists versus Iowa Energy; on March 6, he tallied 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks against Austin Toros; and on March 10, he scored 23 points with additional key contributions against Reno Bighorns. His impressive play earned him the D-League Player of the Week award on March 11 after averaging 24 points, 11 rebounds, and over two assists during three consecutive victories.

Rice was recognized on the 2012–13 NBA D-League All-Rookie second team. He became a starter and played a vital role as the Vipers closed the season with a 16-game winning streak. This momentum carried them through three straight playoff sweeps, culminating in winning the 2013 NBA D-League championship. Throughout the playoffs, Rice averaged 25 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, along with two blocks and two steals per game. His finals performance was particularly dominant, posting averages of 29 points, 11.5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 3.5 blocks.

Washington Wizards (2013–2015)

Following the conclusion of his D-League season, Rice emerged as an unexpected prospect for the 2013 NBA draft, rising from a potential undrafted player to a late first-round candidate. After receiving an invitation to the NBA Draft Combine, he was chosen with the 35th overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers on June 27, 2013. Shortly thereafter, he was traded to the Washington Wizards in exchange for picks number 38 and 54, which were used to select Nate Wolters and Arsalan Kazemi. At that time, Rice held the distinction of being the highest-drafted player coming from the D-League.

Rice inked a contract with Washington on July 8, 2013, and showcased his athleticism during the 2013 NBA Summer League, earning two Sprite Dunk of the Day honors. He made his NBA debut on November 12, 2013 against the Dallas Mavericks, contributing a three-pointer and a rebound. Although his early minutes were limited, injuries opened up an opportunity for him to start on December 9; in that game he posted seven points, three rebounds, and three steals. Unfortunately, Rice underwent surgery for a fractured right wrist on December 18 which sidelined him for an estimated three to six weeks.

On January 20, 2014, Rice was assigned to the Iowa Energy of the NBA D-League primarily for rehabilitation purposes. In three games there, he averaged an impressive 24.3 points and 10.3 rebounds before being recalled by Washington on January 28. He experienced another assignment back to Iowa on February 27 but returned once more to Washington on April 5.

As he entered his sophomore NBA season under a team option valued at $816,000, Rice excelled during the 2014 NBA Summer League, leading with averages of 25 points and nearly eight rebounds per game. His outstanding play earned him co-MVP honors along with teammate Otto Porter. However, his anticipated playing time at small forward for the regular season was curtailed following Washington’s offseason signing of veteran Paul Pierce. During a November game against the New York Knicks, Rice was involved in an incident that resulted in a one-game suspension for J. R. Smith after Smith struck him. On November 20, 2014, Rice was sent down to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League. Ultimately, he was waived by the Wizards on January 7, 2015.

Return to Rio Grande Valley (2015)

Rice rejoined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on January 12, 2015, marking his second period with the organization.

TNT KaTropa (2017)

On August 15, 2017, Rice inked a deal with TNT KaTropa of the Philippine Basketball Association to serve as their import for the 2017 PBA Governors' Cup. His stint was cut short following an ejection during a semifinal match due to inappropriate conduct on the court. Soon after, he departed the Philippines without informing team management. TNT imposed a $10,000 fine on him for unprofessional actions, which was added to earlier penalties totaling P26,000. Later that month, Rice submitted a formal apology to TNT’s leadership and requested permission to compete in other leagues.

Hapoel Holon (2017–2018)

Rice signed with Israeli club Hapoel Holon on October 23, 2017, for the 2017–18 campaign. On November 18, he delivered a season-best performance with 43 points and 11 rebounds in a triumph over Maccabi Ashdod. On February 16, 2018, Rice contributed 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists—including a decisive game-winning basket—to secure Holon’s second Israeli Cup championship and earned the Final MVP award. Three days later, he recorded 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists along with a buzzer-beater that forced overtime in another victory.

Throughout the season, Rice led the league by averaging 24.5 points per game while also posting averages of 7.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.9 steals. He was honored twice as Israeli League Player of the Month and received four MVP of the Round accolades.

On April 9, 2018, Holon released Rice due to disciplinary issues after an altercation in which he struck teammate Guy Pnini in the locker room. Nevertheless, he officially returned on June 8 for the Israeli League Final Four, where Holon fell to Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Caciques de Humacao (2018)

Rice signed with Caciques de Humacao on June 26, 2018, for the remainder of the 2018 BSN season. He exited after two appearances because of a back injury.

Aguacateros de Michoacán (2018)

On November 17, 2018, Rice made his return to Mexico by joining Aguacateros de Michoacán. In his first game, he tallied 34 points along with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals to lead his team to a 94–89 win over Fuerza Regia de Monterrey.

Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba (2019)

Rice signed with Argentine side Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba on February 4, 2019. Following an ejection caused by double technical fouls on March 1, he parted ways with Instituto after participating in five games.

Plaza Valerio (2019)

On March 9, 2019, Rice joined Plaza Valerio competing in the Dominican Santiago League.

New Zealand Breakers (2019)

Rice agreed to terms with the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian NBL on November 5, 2019], filling in for injured Scotty Hopson. After just two games played, he was arrested on November 14 and charged with assault following an incident at an Auckland bar. The Breakers suspended him indefinitely; however, after an investigation by Basketball Australia cleared him on December 6, he returned to play one more match. His contract was terminated on December 9 after being arrested again for violating bail conditions. Across three games with New Zealand, Rice averaged 25 points per contest.

Al-Fateh (2020)

In January 2020, Rice became a member of Saudi Arabia's Al-Fateh basketball team.

Juventus Utena (2020)

Rice signed with Juventus Utena of the Lithuanian Basketball League on August 19, 2020. He made his first appearance in a friendly match against reigning champions BC Žalgiris, contributing 10 points and 4 assists in a 102–71 defeat. However, after only ten days, Rice and Juventus mutually ended their association amid reports citing struggles with alcoholism and disagreements involving coaches, management, and teammates.

Maccabi Haifa (2021–22)

On December 3, 2021, Rice joined Maccabi Haifa competing in the Israeli Basketball National League. His tenure concluded on January 26, 2022, following an on-court altercation with player Ariel Tarotzki.

Power (2022)

Rice was selected as the first overall pick in the opening round of the 2022 BIG3 draft by the team Power on May 25, 2022.

Regular season

|- | align="left" | | align="left" | Washington | 11 || 1 || 9.9 || .297 || .294 || .714 || 1.8 || .6 || .5 || .1 || 2.9 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Washington | 5 || 0 || 8.6 || .200 || .143 || .667 || .8 || .4 || .0 || .0 || 2.2 |- | align="left" | Career | align="left" | | 16 || 1 || 9.5 || .269 || .250 || .692 || 1.5 || .6 || .4 || .1 || 2.7

Regular season

|- | align="left" | 2012–13 | align="left" | Rio Grande Valley | 42 || 25 || 23.7 || .491 || .385 || .752 || 6.2 || 1.9 || .9 || .7 || 13.0 |- | align="left" | 2013–14 | align="left" | Iowa | 19 || 19 || 27.9 || .464 || .351 || .805 || 6.2 || 1.9 || 1.7 || .8 || 17.2 |- | align="left" | Career | align="left" | | 61 || 44 || 25.0 || .481 || .372 || .773 || 6.2 || 1.9 || 1.1 || .8 || 14.3

Playoffs

|- | align="left" | 2013 | align="left" | Rio Grande Valley | 6 || 6 || 39.2 || .473 || .358 || .692 || 9.5 || 4.3 || 2.0 || 2.0 || 25.0 |- | align="left" | Career | align="left" | | 6 || 6 || 39.2 || .473 || .358 || .692 || 9.5 || 4.3 || 2.0||2.0||25.0

Personal life

Rice is the son of Glen Rice Sr., a former NBA player who holds Michigan’s all-time scoring record and was part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that won the championship in the 1999–2000 season. He has a younger sibling named G'mitri. In October of 2015, Rice sustained a gunshot wound to his leg and was subsequently charged with reckless conduct and possession of marijuana. Later that year, in December, he appeared on season eight of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. In July of the following year, he faced arrest for battery.

External links

• ESPN.com profile
• Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets bio
• "New Zealand Breakers sign former NBA player with chequered past to replace Scotty Hopson" at stuff.co.nz