University of Minnesota Athletics
Trent Tucker - A Basketball Life
2/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The jersey of former Minnesota men’s basketball standout Trent Tucker will join four other former Gophers in the rafters of Williams Arena during a ceremony of retirement at halftime of the Minnesota-Indiana game on Feb. 10.
The Flint, Mich. native played four seasons at the U’ for head coach Jim Dutcher (1978-82). During his time in Gold Country, Tucker totaled 1,445 career points at Minnesota (8th all-time), posted 164 career steals (3rd all-time), 631 field goals made (6th all-time) and a .772 (183-237) free-throw percentage (7th all-time).
Tucker’s Legacy
Trent Tucker led the Minnesota men’s basketball team to the 1982 Big Ten Championship. He played 11-years in the National Basketball Association, ending his career with an NBA Championship.
But Tucker’s legacy extends much further than his on court accomplishments. Indeed, his banner will hang proudly at Williams Arena (as to will his jersey) and he owns a ring as a contributor to the 1993 NBA Champion Chicago Bulls.
Perhaps most remarkable, though, is what Tucker has been able to accomplish following his basketball career.
An entrepreneur. A philanthropist. A professional broadcaster. Heck, a youth coordinator. You name it; chances are Tucker has done it.
“I like to stay involved,” Tucker says. I’ve always liked to stay active.”
Collegiate Days
Knowing that the Big Ten was the type of conference he wanted to play in and that minutes would be available to him as a freshman, Tucker arrived at the U of M in 1978.
Tucker has many lasting memories from his playing days at the U. He fondly remembers spending countless hours with his teammates. Sometimes they would stay in the dorms, other times they would venture out around campus. Tucker’s favorite on-campus hotspot those days is one that still remains a fixture for campus nightlife, “Stub & Herb’s.”
“Remember, back then it was legal to get into the bars at 18,” Tucker said.
Undoubtedly, Tucker’s proudest accomplishment as a student-athlete was leading the Gophers to the 1982 Big Ten Championship. But what he enjoyed the most was the ride to the title.
“Winning the Big Ten Championship, first and foremost, is something I’ll never forget. But also, I’ll always remember the guys I played with,” Tucker said. “To be able to play with some great players that helped me as an individual achieve goals I tried to attain, was special. My teammates were very instrumental to my career.”
The Pro Life
Fresh off a remarkable career in Gold Country, Tucker entered the NBA Draft in 1982, where he was selected 6th overall by the New York Knicks. The 6’5” shooting guard will always cherish draft day.
“At that moment, I knew it was a dream come true,” Tucker said. “It was one of those moments where you kind of had to pinch yourself because you worked so hard to get to that point.”
In New York, Tucker will always treasure the seven years he was able to play alongside friend, and Hall of Famer, Patrick Ewing. However, Tucker’s most memorable moment with the Knicks may have come on January 15, 1990. With just 0.1 left on the game clock, Tucker improbably connected on a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer to propel the Knicks to victory. After the shot, the NBA created a new rule, making it mandatory that 0.3 must remain on the game clock for a player to get a shot off. By some, this is known as “The Trent Tucker Rule.”
Another Ring
Many dream of going out on top, but few do. Trent Tucker can say he did.
After nine years with the Knicks and a season with the San Antonio Spurs, Tucker joined forces with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls for the final season of his 11-year NBA career.
Tucker’s patience paid off. The Flint, Michigan native played in 69 games in his lone season in the Windy City and helped the Bulls win the 1993 NBA Championship.
Tucker says his favorite moment from Chicago’s journey to the championship that season came in the Eastern Conference Finals. Down two games to none and without home court advantage against his former team the Knicks Chicago came storming back to win the series.
“In game five we were down two with under two minutes left and Michael Jordan found B.J. Armstrong open for three. We won the game and closed out the series in game six and went on to win the championship.”Tucker said. “Anytime you are lucky enough to be on a team with the potential to win a championship, it is special.”
For the Love of the Game
After walking away from the court, Tucker didn’t, however, walk away from the game.
For five years following his playing days, Tucker worked as an announcer for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Oddly enough, Tucker’s first year with the team (1995) was Kevin Garnett’s rookie season.
“It was a way to reintroduce myself to basketball once again and see many of the new guys,” Tucker said. “It was fun to see Kevin Garnett as an 18-year-old rookie straight out of high school and now see the type of player he has turned into today.”
Currently, Tucker is in his second year as an announcer for the Big Ten Network. In his brief tenure with the network, Tucker’s favorite game to call thus far was Minnesota’s come-from-behind win at Penn State last season.
“Working for the Big Ten Network is fun for me because I’ve been introduced back to the Big Ten Conference. Last year I was able to make my first trip to Bloomington (Indiana) since my playing days.”
Back to School
After 23 years away from Minneapolis, Tucker returned in 2004 to get his degree. Tucker knew returning to school would be a challenge. For starters, his classmates would be 20 years younger than him. Plus, returning to the books after two decades away from class would be a transition for anybody.
But, determined to graduate, Tucker accepted the challenge and accomplished his goal; receiving a degree from the College of Continuing Education.
“Without a degree, I knew the opportunity level was diminished,” he said. “I knew that if I ever went back, it would open doors to more opportunities.
It most certainly has.
Tucker currently works on-campus in Morrill Hall as the senior Vice President of Community Outreach and Youth Development. He works predominately with middle school students, discussing with them their potential for post secondary education.
“The job gives me an opportunity to be involved with the University from a different standpoint. During my first trip with the University I was into the athletic side of things, now I get to work from an institutional outlook.”
Other Endeavors
These days, Tucker likes to stay busy ... very busy. Besides working for the University and announcing for the Big Ten Network, he also has his own clothing line, “Hoopology.”
And when away from those tasks, you can be sure that Tucker is working in some capacity with The Trent Tucker Foundation, which he founded in 1998. In collaboration with the celebrity golf tournament he hosts each year, the foundation has raised $1,000,000 for local charities and his Trent Tucker Youth Program, which he started in 2001.
Growing up in Flint, Michigan, Tucker had to rely on others in times of need. He started his own foundation to pay those good deeds forward.
“As a kid, somebody was always willing to provide a helping hand and help me stay on the right track,” Tucker said. “I always asked those people who helped me, how could I pay them back? They said the best way was by passing along the knowledge, to attempt to change someone’s path for the better.”
His Take on the 2008-09 Gophers
In his spare time, Tucker can often be seen courtside at Williams Arena, taking in a Gophers game. While impressed with Minnesota’s resurgence under head coach Tubby Smith, Tucker isn’t surprised.
“It’s been very remarkable ... but I knew the basketball program was back on track, that the future was very bright when Tubby Smith was hired,” Tucker said.
The Flint, Mich. native played four seasons at the U’ for head coach Jim Dutcher (1978-82). During his time in Gold Country, Tucker totaled 1,445 career points at Minnesota (8th all-time), posted 164 career steals (3rd all-time), 631 field goals made (6th all-time) and a .772 (183-237) free-throw percentage (7th all-time).
Tucker’s Legacy
Trent Tucker led the Minnesota men’s basketball team to the 1982 Big Ten Championship. He played 11-years in the National Basketball Association, ending his career with an NBA Championship.
But Tucker’s legacy extends much further than his on court accomplishments. Indeed, his banner will hang proudly at Williams Arena (as to will his jersey) and he owns a ring as a contributor to the 1993 NBA Champion Chicago Bulls.
Perhaps most remarkable, though, is what Tucker has been able to accomplish following his basketball career.
An entrepreneur. A philanthropist. A professional broadcaster. Heck, a youth coordinator. You name it; chances are Tucker has done it.
“I like to stay involved,” Tucker says. I’ve always liked to stay active.”
Collegiate Days
Knowing that the Big Ten was the type of conference he wanted to play in and that minutes would be available to him as a freshman, Tucker arrived at the U of M in 1978.
Tucker has many lasting memories from his playing days at the U. He fondly remembers spending countless hours with his teammates. Sometimes they would stay in the dorms, other times they would venture out around campus. Tucker’s favorite on-campus hotspot those days is one that still remains a fixture for campus nightlife, “Stub & Herb’s.”
“Remember, back then it was legal to get into the bars at 18,” Tucker said.
Undoubtedly, Tucker’s proudest accomplishment as a student-athlete was leading the Gophers to the 1982 Big Ten Championship. But what he enjoyed the most was the ride to the title.
“Winning the Big Ten Championship, first and foremost, is something I’ll never forget. But also, I’ll always remember the guys I played with,” Tucker said. “To be able to play with some great players that helped me as an individual achieve goals I tried to attain, was special. My teammates were very instrumental to my career.”
The Pro Life
Fresh off a remarkable career in Gold Country, Tucker entered the NBA Draft in 1982, where he was selected 6th overall by the New York Knicks. The 6’5” shooting guard will always cherish draft day.
“At that moment, I knew it was a dream come true,” Tucker said. “It was one of those moments where you kind of had to pinch yourself because you worked so hard to get to that point.”
In New York, Tucker will always treasure the seven years he was able to play alongside friend, and Hall of Famer, Patrick Ewing. However, Tucker’s most memorable moment with the Knicks may have come on January 15, 1990. With just 0.1 left on the game clock, Tucker improbably connected on a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer to propel the Knicks to victory. After the shot, the NBA created a new rule, making it mandatory that 0.3 must remain on the game clock for a player to get a shot off. By some, this is known as “The Trent Tucker Rule.”
Another Ring
Many dream of going out on top, but few do. Trent Tucker can say he did.
After nine years with the Knicks and a season with the San Antonio Spurs, Tucker joined forces with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls for the final season of his 11-year NBA career.
Tucker’s patience paid off. The Flint, Michigan native played in 69 games in his lone season in the Windy City and helped the Bulls win the 1993 NBA Championship.
Tucker says his favorite moment from Chicago’s journey to the championship that season came in the Eastern Conference Finals. Down two games to none and without home court advantage against his former team the Knicks Chicago came storming back to win the series.
“In game five we were down two with under two minutes left and Michael Jordan found B.J. Armstrong open for three. We won the game and closed out the series in game six and went on to win the championship.”Tucker said. “Anytime you are lucky enough to be on a team with the potential to win a championship, it is special.”
For the Love of the Game
After walking away from the court, Tucker didn’t, however, walk away from the game.
For five years following his playing days, Tucker worked as an announcer for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Oddly enough, Tucker’s first year with the team (1995) was Kevin Garnett’s rookie season.
“It was a way to reintroduce myself to basketball once again and see many of the new guys,” Tucker said. “It was fun to see Kevin Garnett as an 18-year-old rookie straight out of high school and now see the type of player he has turned into today.”
Currently, Tucker is in his second year as an announcer for the Big Ten Network. In his brief tenure with the network, Tucker’s favorite game to call thus far was Minnesota’s come-from-behind win at Penn State last season.
“Working for the Big Ten Network is fun for me because I’ve been introduced back to the Big Ten Conference. Last year I was able to make my first trip to Bloomington (Indiana) since my playing days.”
Back to School
After 23 years away from Minneapolis, Tucker returned in 2004 to get his degree. Tucker knew returning to school would be a challenge. For starters, his classmates would be 20 years younger than him. Plus, returning to the books after two decades away from class would be a transition for anybody.
But, determined to graduate, Tucker accepted the challenge and accomplished his goal; receiving a degree from the College of Continuing Education.
“Without a degree, I knew the opportunity level was diminished,” he said. “I knew that if I ever went back, it would open doors to more opportunities.
It most certainly has.
Tucker currently works on-campus in Morrill Hall as the senior Vice President of Community Outreach and Youth Development. He works predominately with middle school students, discussing with them their potential for post secondary education.
“The job gives me an opportunity to be involved with the University from a different standpoint. During my first trip with the University I was into the athletic side of things, now I get to work from an institutional outlook.”
Other Endeavors
These days, Tucker likes to stay busy ... very busy. Besides working for the University and announcing for the Big Ten Network, he also has his own clothing line, “Hoopology.”
And when away from those tasks, you can be sure that Tucker is working in some capacity with The Trent Tucker Foundation, which he founded in 1998. In collaboration with the celebrity golf tournament he hosts each year, the foundation has raised $1,000,000 for local charities and his Trent Tucker Youth Program, which he started in 2001.
Growing up in Flint, Michigan, Tucker had to rely on others in times of need. He started his own foundation to pay those good deeds forward.
“As a kid, somebody was always willing to provide a helping hand and help me stay on the right track,” Tucker said. “I always asked those people who helped me, how could I pay them back? They said the best way was by passing along the knowledge, to attempt to change someone’s path for the better.”
His Take on the 2008-09 Gophers
In his spare time, Tucker can often be seen courtside at Williams Arena, taking in a Gophers game. While impressed with Minnesota’s resurgence under head coach Tubby Smith, Tucker isn’t surprised.
“It’s been very remarkable ... but I knew the basketball program was back on track, that the future was very bright when Tubby Smith was hired,” Tucker said.
Cinematic Recap: Gophers Top Rutgers
Monday, February 23
Highlights: Gophers 80, Rutgers 61
Saturday, February 21
Cinematic Recap: Gophers at Oregon
Thursday, February 19
Highlights: Gophers 61, Oregon 44
Tuesday, February 17