View source for Rick Mahorn

{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1958)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Rick Mahorn
| image = Rick_Mahorn.jpg
| caption = Mahorn in 2007
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|09|21}}
| birth_place = [[Hartford, Connecticut]], U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 10
| weight_lb = 260
| high_school = Weaver (Hartford, Connecticut)
| college = [[Hampton Pirates men's basketball|Hampton]] (1976–1980)
| draft_round = 2
| draft_pick = 35
| draft_year = 1980
| draft_team = [[Washington Bullets]]
| career_start = 1980
| career_end = 1999
| career_number = 44, 4
| career_position = [[Power forward (basketball)|Power forward]] / [[Center (basketball)|center]]
| coach_start = 1999
| coach_end = 2009
| years1 = {{nbay|1980|start}}–{{nbay|1984|end}}
| team1 = [[Washington Bullets]]
| years2 = {{nbay|1985|start}}–{{nbay|1988|end}}
| team2 = [[Detroit Pistons]]
| years3 = {{nbay|1989|start}}–{{nbay|1990|end}}
| team3 = [[Philadelphia 76ers]]
| years4 = 1991–1992
| team4 = [[Virtus Roma]]
| years5 = {{nbay|1992|start}}–{{nbay|1995|end}}
| team5 = [[New Jersey Nets]]
| years6 = {{nbay|1996|start}}–{{nbay|1997|end}}
| team6 = Detroit Pistons
| years7 = {{nbay|1998|end}}
| team7 = Philadelphia 76ers
| cyears1 = 1999–2000
| cteam1 = [[Rockford Lightning]]
| cyears2 = {{nbay|2000|start}}–{{nbay|2001|end}}
| cteam2 = [[Atlanta Hawks]] (assistant)
| cyears3 = [[2005 WNBA season|2005]]–[[2009 WNBA season|2009]]
| cteam3 = [[Detroit Shock]] (assistant)
| cyears4 = [[2009 WNBA season|2009]]
| cteam4 = Detroit Shock (interim)
| cteam5 = [[Trilogy (basketball)|Trilogy]]
| cyears5 = [[2017 Big3 season|2017]]-[[2018 Big3 season|2018]]
| cteam6 = [[Big3#Teams|Enemies]]
| cyears6 = [[2019 Big3 season|2019]]
| cteam7 = [[Aliens (basketball)|Aliens]]
| cyears7 = 2021-2024
| highlights = 
'''As player:'''
* [[NBA champion]] ([[1989 NBA Finals|1989]])
* [[FIBA Korać Cup]] (1992)
* [[NBA All-Defensive Second Team]] ({{nbay|1989|end}})
* [[Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association|CIAA]] Player of the Year (1979)
* 3× [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] All-American (1977–1980)
* 3× First-team All-[[Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association|CIAA]] (1977–1980)
'''As assistant coach:'''
* 2× [[WNBA Finals|WNBA champion]] ([[2006 WNBA Finals|2006]], [[2008 WNBA Finals|2008]])
'''As head coach:'''
* [[BIG3|BIG3 champion]] ([[2017 Big3 season|2017]])
| stat1label = [[Point (basketball)|Points]]
| stat1value = 7,763 (6.9 ppg)
| stat2label = [[Rebound (basketball)|Rebounds]]
| stat2value = 6,957 (6.2 rpg)
| stat3label = [[Block (basketball)|Blocks]]
| stat3value = 1,007 (0.9 bpg)
}}
'''Derrick Allen Mahorn''' (born September 21, 1958) is an American former professional [[basketball]] player who played [[Power forward (basketball)|power forward]] and [[Center (basketball)|center]] for the [[Washington Bullets]], [[Detroit Pistons]], [[Philadelphia 76ers]], and the [[New Jersey Nets]] of the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA). He is currently a [[Color commentator|radio analyst]] for the [[Detroit Pistons]],<ref name="announcer">[http://www.nba.com/pistons/multimedia/radio_television_announcers.html Pistons Announcers]</ref> works as a co-host/analyst on [[SiriusXM NBA Radio]], and during the summer is the [[head coach]] of the [[Aliens (basketball)|Aliens]] of the [[BIG3]].

Mahorn had a reputation for physical play, and was a member of the late 1980s [[Detroit Pistons]] teams known as "The Bad Boys", and with them won the 1989 [[NBA Championship]].  
After his playing career, Mahorn would go on to be an assistant coach under Pistons teammate and head coach [[Bill Laimbeer]] with the [[Detroit Shock]] of the [[Women's National Basketball Association]] (WNBA) and was part of two [[WNBA Championship]] teams (2006, 2008).  He would eventually become head coach of the Shock, and later became head coach of [[Trilogy (basketball)|Trilogy]] of the [[BIG3]], leading the team to the inaugural BIG3 Championship in [[2017 Big3 season|2017]], making Mahorn the only one in history to have won a championship in the NBA, WNBA, and BIG3.

==College career==
Mahorn played [[college basketball]] at [[Hampton University]]. He was a three-time [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] [[All-American]] and owned 18 school records. He scored 2,418 points while playing for the Pirates, averaging 20.3 points per game.<ref>{{cite web |title=Derrick "Rick" Mahorn (2009) - Hampton Athletics Hall of Fame - Hampton University Athletics |url=https://hamptonpirates.com/honors/hampton-athletics-hall-of-fame/derrick-rick-mahorn/4 |website=hamptonpirates.com |publisher=[[Hampton University]] |access-date=29 May 2023}}</ref>

==Playing career==
Mahorn was drafted by the [[Washington Bullets]] in the second round of the [[1980 NBA draft]]. While on the Bullets, Mahorn and all-star teammate [[Jeff Ruland]] were dubbed the "Beef Brothers" for their physicality and tough play when paired together on the court.<ref>{{cite web |title=Beef Brothers: The story behind Jeff Ruland and Rick Mahorn's unbreakable bond {{!}} Washington Wizards |url=https://www.nba.com/wizards/news/beef-brothers-the-story-behind-jeff-ruland-and-rick-mahorns-unbreakable-bond |website=www.nba.com |publisher=N.B.A. |language=en}}</ref>

Mahorn's career is perhaps best known for the period after he was traded by the Bullets to the [[Detroit Pistons]]. He was unhappy with the trade initially and, as he claimed in a 2014 ESPN documentary, showed up to training camp overweight and out of shape. After teammate [[Bill Laimbeer]] took him aside and spoke with him about what he was brought there for, Mahorn acquiesced and became an integral part of the Pistons’ core. In 1989, Mahorn - dubbed by Piston announcer [[George Blaha]] the "Baddest Bad Boy of them all" - won his only [[1989 NBA Finals|NBA championship]] with the Pistons.<ref>[https://big3.com/players/rick-mahorn/ Rick Mahorn bio- BIG3.com]</ref>

Two days after the Pistons won the championship in 1989, the NBA held an [[1989 NBA Expansion Draft|expansion draft]] for its two newest franchises, the [[Orlando Magic]] and [[Minnesota Timberwolves]]. League rules dictated that only eight players on each roster could be protected from being drafted by either team, and the Pistons elected not to extend that protection to Mahorn. As such, he was made the second pick in the expansion draft and the first to be taken by the Timberwolves; the Pistons were conducting their victory celebration in Detroit while the draft was happening and Mahorn was taken aside during the festivities, so he could be told. Pistons [[general manager]] [[Jack McCloskey]] tried to reacquire Mahorn to no avail, and years later Mahorn was shown to still be bothered by what transpired as the story of the expansion draft brought him to tears during the 2014 ESPN film about the team.

Mahorn, as it turned out, would never play for Minnesota. After refusing to report to the Timberwolves, he ended up being traded instead to the [[Philadelphia 76ers]], where he teamed with superstar [[Charles Barkley]] (despite previous rivalries with him) to form the top-rebounding duo of "Thump N' Bump".<ref>{{cite news |author1=Keith Groller |title=Dawkins, Hawkins pushing all right buttons |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-dawkins-hawkins-pushin/125496136/ |access-date=29 May 2023 |work=[[The Morning Call]] |date=6 November 1990 |page=C3 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{open access}}</ref> After two seasons, Mahorn signed a two-year contract with [[Virtus Roma|Il Messaggero Roma]] of the Italian [[Serie A (basketball)|Serie A]] in 1991.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Mitch Albom |title=Rickey's Roman holiday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press-rickeys-roman-holida/125495182/ |access-date=29 May 2023 |work=[[Detroit Free Press]] |date=10 March 1992 |pages=1C, 6C |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{open access}}</ref> Teaming up with [[Dino Radja]], Mahorn helped Roma win the [[1991–92 FIBA Korać Cup|1992 FIBA Korać Cup]]. He started the 1992–1993 season with Roma but was kicked of the team in October after throwing a chair in a heated argument with head coach [[Paolo Di Fonzo]].<ref>{{cite news |author1=Corky Meinecke |title=Mahorn sprung before spring? |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press-mahorn-sprung-before/125495723/ |access-date=29 May 2023 |work=[[Detroit Free Press]] |date=13 October 1992 |page=4C |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{open access}}</ref> In November, he returned to the NBA and signed with the [[New Jersey Nets]].<ref>{{cite news |author1=Howard Blatt |title=A bang-up job! Mahorn a Net |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-a-bang-up-job-mahorn-a-net/125496010/ |access-date=29 May 2023 |work=[[New York Daily News]] |date=10 November 1992 |page=70 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{open access}}</ref> He played with the Nets for four seasons, before returning to the Pistons in 1996–97 under coach [[Doug Collins (basketball)|Doug Collins]]. He retired after the 1999 season, after a second stint with the 76ers.

==Coaching==
===WNBA===
Mahorn then served as a color commentator for Pistons radio broadcasts, and as an assistant coach under former teammate [[Bill Laimbeer]] with the [[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]]'s [[Detroit Shock]]. Laimbeer and Mahorn led the Shock to two WNBA titles (2006, 2008).<ref>[https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/big3-signs-nba-legends-clyde-drexler-rick-barry-and-rick-mahorn-as-coaches-300397867.html BIG 3 signs NBA legends Drexler, Barry, and Mahorn as coaches - PR Newswire.com]</ref>

On July 22, 2008, at a Sparks-Shock game, Mahorn attempted to break up a [[Sparks–Shock brawl|brawl]]. When attempting to restrain [[Lisa Leslie]], he put his left hand out and Leslie fell to the ground. Mahorn was suspended for two games.<ref>Arritt, Dan. [http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/wnba/sparks/la-sp-wnba25-2008jul25,0,2967674.story "Candace Parker, Lisa Leslie suspended after WNBA fight"]. ''Los Angeles Times''. July 25, 2008.</ref>

On June 15, 2009, he became the head coach of the Shock, a position he held until the franchise moved to [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]] after the season. Shortly afterward, Mahorn continued his work with Pistons radio, doing color commentary alongside [[Mark Champion]].

===BIG3===
In 2017, Mahorn became head coach of [[Trilogy (basketball)|Trilogy]], the eventual champion of the [[BIG3]] basketball league's inaugural season. His team's players included [[Al Harrington]] and [[Kenyon Martin]].<ref>[https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/big3-championship-former-nba-players-harrington-martin-win-inaugural-title/ Former NBA players Harrington, Martin win inaugural BIG 3 title - CBS Sports.com]</ref>

==NBA career statistics==

{{NBA player statistics legend|champion=y}}

===Regular season===
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1980}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1980–81 Washington Bullets season|Washington]]
| 52 || 0 || 13.4 || .507 || .000 || .675 || 4.1 || 0.5 || 0.4 || .8 || 4.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1981}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1981–82 Washington Bullets season|Washington]]
| 80 || 80 || 33.3 || .507 || .000 || .632 || 8.8 || '''1.9''' || 0.7 || 1.7 || '''12.2'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1982}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1982–83 Washington Bullets season|Washington]]
| '''82''' || '''82''' || '''36.9''' || .490 || .000 || .575 || '''9.5''' || 1.4 || '''1.0''' || '''1.8''' || 11.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1983}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1983–84 Washington Bullets season|Washington]]
| '''82''' || '''82''' || 32.9 || .507 || .000  || .651 || 9.0 || 1.6 || 0.8 || 1.5 || 9.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1984}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1984–85 Washington Bullets season|Washington]]
| 77 || 63 || 26.9 || .499 || .000 || .653 || 7.9 || 1.6 || 0.8 || 1.4 || 6.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1985}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1985–86 Detroit Pistons season|Detroit]]
| 80 || 12 || 18.0 || .455 || .000 || .681 || 5.2 || 0.8 || 0.5 || .8 || 4.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1986}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1986–87 Detroit Pistons season|Detroit]]
| 63 || 6 || 20.3 || .477 || .000 || '''.821''' || 6.0 || 0.6 || 0.5 || .8 || 6.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1987}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1987–88 Detroit Pistons season|Detroit]]
| 67 || 64 || 29.3 || '''.574''' || '''.500''' || .756 || 8.4 || 0.9 || 0.6 || .6 || 10.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"| {{nbay|1988}}†
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1988–89 Detroit Pistons season|Detroit]]
| 72 || 61 || 24.9 || .517 || .000 || .748 || 6.9 || 0.8 || 0.6 || .9 || 7.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1989}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1989–90 Philadelphia 76ers season|Philadelphia]]
| 75 || 66 || 30.3 || .497 || .222 || .715 || 7.6 || 1.3 || 0.6 || 1.4 || 10.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1990}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1990–91 Philadelphia 76ers season|Philadelphia]]
| 80 || 74 || 30.5 || .467 || .000 || .788 || 7.8 || 1.5 || '''1.0''' || .7 || 8.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1992}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1992–93 New Jersey Nets season|New Jersey]]
| 74 || 9 || 14.6 || .472 || .333 || .800 || 3.8 || 0.4 || 0.3 || .4 || 3.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1993}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1993–94 New Jersey Nets season|New Jersey]]
| 28 || 0 || 8.1 || .489 || .000 || .650 || 1.9 || 0.2 || 0.1 || .2 || 2.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1994}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1994–95 New Jersey Nets season|New Jersey]]
| 58 || 7 || 10.9 || .523 || .333 || .796 || 2.8 || 0.4 || 0.2 || .2 || 3.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1995}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1995–96 New Jersey Nets season|New Jersey]]
| 50 || 0 || 9.0 || .352 || .000 || .723 || 2.2 || 0.3 || 0.3 || .3 || 2.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1996}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1996–97 Detroit Pistons season|Detroit]]
| 22 || 7 || 9.9 || .370 || .000 || .727 || 2.4 || 0.3 || 0.2 || .1 || 2.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1997}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1997–98 Detroit Pistons season|Detroit]]
| 59 || 0 || 12.0 || .457 || .000 || .676 || 3.3 || 0.3 || 0.2 || .1 || 2.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1998}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1998–99 Philadelphia 76ers season|Philadelphia]]
| 16 || 0 || 7.9 || .278 || .000 || .375 || 1.4 || 0.1 || 0.3 || .1 || 0.8
|-class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | Career
| 1117 || 613 || 23.1 || .493 || .132 || .704 || 6.2 || 1.0 || 0.6 || .9 || 6.9
{{S-end}}

===Playoffs===
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1982 NBA Playoffs|1982]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1981–82 Washington Bullets season|Washington]]
| 7 || 7 || 34.6 || .438 || .000 || .714 || 8.7 || '''1.9''' || '''1.4''' || .7 || '''10.6'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1984 NBA Playoffs|1984]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1983–84 Washington Bullets season|Washington]]
| 4 || 4 || '''38.5''' || '''.600''' || .000 || .800 || '''10.8''' || 1.5 || 0.3 || '''1.5''' || 9.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1985 NBA Playoffs|1985]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1984–85 Washington Bullets season|Washington]]
| 4 || 1 || 10.3 || .500 || .000 || '''1.000''' || 1.8 || 0.0 || 0.0 || .8 || 3.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1986 NBA Playoffs|1986]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1985–86 Detroit Pistons season|Detroit]]
| 4 || 0 || 15.3 || .385 || .000 || '''1.000''' || 3.0 || 0.0 || 0.3 || .0 || 3.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1987 NBA Playoffs|1987]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1986–87 Detroit Pistons season|Detroit]]
| 15 || 15 || 32.2 || .541 || .000 || .800 || 9.5 || 0.3 || 0.4 || .7 || 9.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1988 NBA Playoffs|1988]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1987–88 Detroit Pistons season|Detroit]]
| '''23''' || '''21''' || 17.8 || .344 || .000 || .684 || 3.9 || 0.6 || 0.2 || .4 || 3.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"| [[1989 NBA Playoffs|1989]]†
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1988–89 Detroit Pistons season|Detroit]]
| 17 || 17 || 21.2 || .580 || .000 || .654 || 5.1 || 0.4 || 0.5 || .8 || 5.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1990 NBA Playoffs|1990]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1989–90 Philadelphia 76ers season|Philadelphia]]
| 10 || 10 || 34.2 || .430 || .000 || .769 || 7.0 || 1.0 || 0.7 || .8 || 9.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1991 NBA Playoffs|1991]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1990–91 Philadelphia 76ers season|Philadelphia]]
| 8 || 8 || 26.0 || .556 || .000 || .786 || 5.3 || 1.8 || 0.3 || .5 || 6.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1993 NBA Playoffs|1993]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1992–93 New Jersey Nets season|New Jersey]]
| 4 || 2 || 15.8 || .400 || .000 || .000 || 3.3 || 0.8 || 0.0 || .5 || 2.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1994 NBA Playoffs|1994]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1993–94 New Jersey Nets season|New Jersey]]
| 3 || 0 || 6.3 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 1.3 || 0.0 || 0.0 || .3 || 0.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1997 NBA Playoffs|1997]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1996–97 Detroit Pistons season|Detroit]]
| 2 || 1 || 9.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 0.0 || .0 || 0.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1999 NBA Playoffs|1999]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1998–99 Philadelphia 76ers season|Philadelphia]]
| 5 || 0 || 5.8 || .333 || .000 || .500 || 1.6 || 0.2 || 0.2 || .0 || 1.6
|-class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | Career
| 106 || 86 || 22.9 || .427 || .000 || .750 || 5.5 || 0.7 || 0.4 || .6 || 5.8
{{S-end}}

== Personal life ==
Mahorn played himself in a 2017 episode of ''[[Detroiters (TV series)|Detroiters]]'' titled "Quick Rick Mahorn of Dearborn."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hinds|first=Julie|title=Why Comedy Central's 'Detroiters' had a winning season|url=https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/movies/julie-hinds/2017/04/08/comedy-central-detroiters-season-finale/100167592/|access-date=2020-06-11|website=Detroit Free Press|language=en}}</ref>

==Awards and honors==
*1989 [[NBA Champion]] (as a player with the [[Detroit Pistons]])
*Two-time WNBA Champion (2006, 2008 - as an assistant coach with the [[Detroit Shock]])
*2017 [[BIG3]] Champion (as head coach of [[Trilogy (basketball)|Trilogy]])
*[[Virginia Sports Hall of Fame]] (class of 2018)

==See also==
* [[List of NBA career personal fouls leaders]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
{{Basketballstats|bbr=m/mahorri01}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20121018114859/http://www.wnba.com/coachfile/rick_mahorn/index.html?nav=page WNBA.com profile]

{{Navboxes|list1=
{{1980 NBA draft}}
{{Detroit Pistons 1988–89 NBA champions}}
{{Pallacanestro Virtus Roma 1991–92 FIBA Korać Cup Champions}}
{{Detroit Shock 2006 WNBA champions}}
{{Detroit Shock 2008 WNBA champions}}
{{Detroit Shock}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahorn, Rick}}
[[Category:1958 births]]
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[[Category:African-American basketball coaches]]
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[[Category:Big3 coaches]]
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[[Category:Minnesota Timberwolves expansion draft picks]]
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[[Category:Power forwards]]
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[[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]]
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