Rick Fox

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Fox's tenure with the Celtics began with high expectations as he earned spots on the 1992 NBA All-Rookie Second Team after averaging 8 points per game. By the 1995–96 season, he had solidified himself as the team's starting small forward, achieving double-figure scoring for the first time. His physical play and shooting touch peaked in the 1996–97 campaign, where he recorded career highs of 15.4 points per game and 2.2 steals per game (fifth in the league), while sinking 101 three-point field goals. Although his time in Boston ended without a championship ring, Fox became a reliable two-way wing who could stretch the floor and defend multiple positions, setting the stage for his future success with the Los Angeles Lakers.

In Their Own Story

In the summer of 1997, the Celtics released Rick Fox, ending his six-year run in Boston. He immediately signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he played and started all 82 games during the 1997–98 season, averaging 12 points per game. The following year, he served primarily as a backup to newly acquired All-Star Glen Rice before stepping into a starting role again in 1999–2000. That postseason proved pivotal: Fox played all 23 playoff games as the Lakers reached the NBA Finals against Indiana. In Game 6 of that series, with Boston's former player leading a fourth-quarter rally, Fox hit a critical three-pointer to help secure his first NBA title.

Reader's Guide

Rick Fox was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1991 and played for them until being released in the summer of 1997. During his six seasons in green, he evolved from an opening-night starter to a career-high scorer. He left as a key rotation player who averaged over 8 points per game early on and reached double figures by the mid-90s. His departure marked the end of a chapter that saw him become one of the few Celtics rookies since Bird to start immediately, while his subsequent move to Los Angeles launched a three-peat championship run.

Did You Know?

• Fox was the first rookie starter on opening night for the Boston Celtics since Larry Bird in 1979.
• In his senior high school season, he was ruled ineligible by the Indiana High School Athletic Association after playing eight semesters between the Bahamas and Indiana, yet still made the Indiana All-Star team in 1987.
• Fox recorded career highs of 15.4 points per game and 2.2 steals (fifth in the league) during his final season with Boston in 1996–97.
• He hit a critical three-pointer in Game 6 of the 2000 NBA Finals to help secure his first championship with the Lakers.