Ricky Berry

Ricky Alan Berry (October 6, 1964 – August 14, 1989) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Sacramento Kings.

Ricky Berry
Personal information
Born(1964-10-06)October 6, 1964
Lansing, Michigan
DiedAugust 14, 1989(1989-08-14) (aged 24)
Fair Oaks, California
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High schoolLive Oak (Morgan Hill, California)
College
NBA draft1988 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18th overall
Selected by the Sacramento Kings
Playing career1988–1989
PositionSmall forward
Number34
Career history
1988–1989Sacramento Kings
Career highlights and awards
  • 3× First-team All-PCAA (1986–1988)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
Pan American Games
1987 Indianapolis Team competition

Ricky Berry was born in Lansing, Michigan in 1964, when his father Bill Berry was a student-athlete at Michigan State University. The Berry family moved to the Sacramento, California area in 1966 when Bill Berry became head coach at a local high school and later Cosumnes River Junior College.[1][2] Ricky Berry attended Live Oak High School of Morgan Hill, California when his father became head men's basketball coach at San Jose State in 1979.[3]

Berry was 6'8" and played small forward. After graduating from high school, Berry played for Oregon State in the 1983–84 season, and then transferred to San Jose State in 1984 to play under his father Bill Berry. After sitting out one year per transfer rules, Berry played for the San Jose State Spartans from 1985 to 1988. Ricky Berry was selected 18th overall in the 1988 NBA Draft by the Kings and had a solid rookie season, averaging 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists while shooting 40.6% from three-point range.

Ricky Berry is one of only three former San Jose State Basketball Players to have his jersey retired, when San Jose State retired his Number 34.

In the 1989 offseason, and just weeks before his 25th birthday, Berry was found dead after a self-inflicted gunshot. He showed no signs of depression and left a suicide note.

See also

References
  1. "Bill Berry". NBA. 2002. Archived from the original on February 13, 2005.
  2. Davidson, Joe (August 14, 2009). "Grief remains 20 years after Ricky Berry suicide". Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on August 17, 2009. . Links only work with JavaScript disabled.
  3. Geissinger, Steve (August 20, 1989). "What demons drove Kings' Ricky Berry to commit suicide?". Associated Press via Deseret News. Retrieved March 23, 2013.


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