1. Early Life and College Career
Mark Price was born on February 15, 1964, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. His family had a strong basketball background; his father, Denny Price, was a successful player at Oklahoma and for the Phillips 66ers before becoming a college coach for Sam Houston State and Phillips University. Mark's younger brother, Brent Price, also played ten seasons in the NBA. His daughter, Caroline, had a brief career in professional tennis after playing for the North Carolina Tar Heels, and his son, Josh, played college basketball for Trevecca from 2021 to 2022, following two years with the Liberty Flames.
1.1. College Career Details
Price played college basketball at Georgia Tech as a point guard. Despite critics who believed his height of 6 ft, perceived slowness, and deliberate playing style would hinder him at a high level, Price excelled. During his tenure with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team, he earned significant accolades, including being a three-time All-American and a four-time All-ACC basketball player.
In his junior year, Price led the Yellow Jackets to an ACC Championship by defeating North Carolina in the ACC Tournament championship game. He was named the ACC Player of the Year for the 1984-85 season. His collegiate achievements led to his jersey, number 25, being retired by Georgia Tech. In recognition of his impact, he was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. Price completed his academic pursuits, graduating in four years with a degree in Industrial Management.
During his college career from 1983 to 1986, Price set several all-time records for Georgia Tech:
- All-time leader in 3-point field goal percentage (.440)
- All-time leader in steals (240)
- All-time leader in consecutive games started (126)
- All-time leader in minutes played (4,604)
2. Professional Career
Mark Price was selected first in the second round (25th overall) by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1986 NBA draft. However, on draft day, he was acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers in a trade that proved pivotal in transforming the team into an Eastern Conference powerhouse. Price spent the majority of his professional career with the Cavaliers, where he established himself as one of the league's elite point guards and shooters.
2.1. Cleveland Cavaliers
Price became renowned as one of the NBA's most consistent shooters. He finished his career with an impressive 90.4% free throw shooting percentage, which stands as the third-highest in NBA history as of 2024. He also maintained a career 3-point field goal shooting percentage of 40.2%.
During the 1988-89 NBA season, Price achieved a rare feat, becoming only the second player in NBA history, after Larry Bird, to join the exclusive 50-40-90 club. This distinction is reserved for players who shoot at least 40% from three-point range, at least 50% from the field, and at least 90% from the free throw line in a single season, while also meeting the NBA's minimum number of makes in each category. He remains one of only eight players to have accomplished this.
Price consistently ranked among the league's assist leaders. His Cavaliers record of 4,206 assists stood until March 11, 2015, when it was surpassed by LeBron James. Similarly, his franchise record of 734 steals was also surpassed by LeBron James on December 9, 2008.
One of Price's most distinguishing contributions to the game was his pioneering of the "splitting of the double team." As former teammate Steve Kerr explained, Price revolutionized how players attacked the pick and roll. At a time when many teams countered the pick and roll by having two defenders "blitz" the ball-handler to force the ball out of the point guard's hands, Price developed the technique of ducking between the two defenders to execute a short runner in the lane. This move was unprecedented at the time but has since become a common and fundamental offensive maneuver across the NBA.
2.2. Other Teams
Towards the end of his career, Mark Price's performance was increasingly affected by injuries, particularly to his left foot. This factor contributed to his trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Washington Bullets prior to the 1995-96 season. He played one season for Washington before moving on.
In July 1996, Price signed with the Golden State Warriors as a free agent. He played 70 games for the Warriors during the 1996-97 season, averaging 11.3 points per game. On October 28, 1997, he was traded to the Orlando Magic in exchange for David Vaughn III and Brian Shaw. Price spent one season with the Magic before being waived on June 30, 1998, which effectively marked the end of his professional playing career.
2.3. Awards and Honors
Mark Price accumulated numerous awards and honors throughout his distinguished playing career, both in college and the NBA:
- NBA Honors:**
- 4× NBA All-Star (1989, 1992, 1993, 1994)
- All-NBA First Team (1993)
- 3× All-NBA Third Team (1989, 1992, 1994)
- 2× NBA Three-Point Contest winner (1993, 1994)
- 50-40-90 club (1989)
- Cleveland Cavaliers No. 25 retired
- College Honors:**
- All-American Consensus Second Team (1985)
- All-American Second Team - NABC (1986)
- 2× All-American Third Team - UPI (1984, 1986)
- All-American Third Team - AP (1986)
- 3× All-ACC First Team (1984, 1985, 1986)
- All-ACC Second Team (1983)
- ACC Rookie of the Year (1983)
- Georgia Tech No. 25 retired
3. National Team Career
During his career, Mark Price proudly represented the United States men's national basketball team. He participated in two major international competitions, contributing to gold medal victories for the United States.
In the 1983 Pan American Games, Price was a member of the U.S. team that secured the gold medal. This team notably featured future NBA legends such as Michael Jordan, Chris Mullin, Sam Perkins, and Wayman Tisdale.
Price later represented the national team in the 1994 FIBA World Championship, where the U.S. squad was famously known as "Dream Team II." Alongside other prominent NBA players like Shaquille O'Neal, Reggie Miller, Dominique Wilkins, and Joe Dumars, Price helped lead the team to another gold medal victory.
4. Coaching Career
Mark Price embarked on his coaching career shortly after retiring as a player. His coaching journey has spanned various levels of basketball, from high school to college, and professional leagues both domestically and internationally.
He began in the 1998-99 basketball season as a community coach under head coach Joe Marelle at Duluth High School for the varsity boys' team. When Marelle was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Price became a key figure in guiding the team to the final four of the Class 5A GHSA state tournament, marking the first time Duluth High School reached this stage in 16 years.
Following his high school stint, Price served as an assistant coach to Bobby Cremins at Georgia Tech during the 1999-2000 season. After Cremins' retirement, Price took on the head coaching role at Whitefield Academy in Atlanta for the 2000-01 season. He led the team to a remarkable 27-5 record and the final eight teams of the state Class A tournament, a significant improvement of 20 wins over the prior season and 27 wins over two seasons before his arrival. Notably, future NBA player Josh Smith played at Whitefield Academy during Price's coaching tenure. In 2002, Price was honored with the Coach Wooden "Keys to Life" Award.
In 2003, Price served as a consultant for the NBA's Denver Nuggets. He then transitioned into media, becoming an NBA television analyst and color commentator for both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks.
In March 2006, Price was appointed as the inaugural head coach of the Australian NBL's South Dragons, a new franchise set to debut in the 2006-07 season. Despite the team featuring talents like NBL Rookie of the Year Joe Ingles and four-time Olympian Shane Heal, the South Dragons started the season with an 0-5 record, leading to Price's dismissal on October 23, 2006. Following his departure, team captain Shane Heal was appointed as his successor, leading to a public exchange of criticisms between Price and Heal in the Australian press.
Upon returning to the United States, Price continued his coaching career as a specialist. He was the shooting consultant for the Memphis Grizzlies for the 2007-08 season and subsequently served as the shooting coach for the Atlanta Hawks for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. He is credited with helping to improve the Hawks' offensive output, which contributed to their return to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals in the 2009 NBA Playoffs after nearly a decade. Price is also recognized for helping Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo significantly improve his jump shot, a development that was a key factor in the Celtics reaching the 2010 NBA Finals, where they pushed the Los Angeles Lakers to a full seven-game series.
For the 2010-2011 season, Price joined the Golden State Warriors as an assistant coach, primarily tasked with enhancing the team's shooting and free throw percentages. In December 2011, he was hired as a player development coach for the Orlando Magic. The following July, Price took on the role of head coach for the Orlando Magic's Summer League team.
On July 1, 2013, Price was hired as an assistant coach by the Charlotte Bobcats, joining the staff of head coach Steve Clifford and associate head coach Patrick Ewing for the 2013-14 season. His tenure with the Charlotte franchise continued until March 25, 2015, when he was introduced as the head coach of the Charlotte 49ers, replacing Coach Alan Major. On December 14, 2017, Price was relieved of his duties as head coach of the Charlotte 49ers basketball program.
In September 2018, he rejoined the Denver Nuggets coaching staff as a shooting consultant for the 2018-19 season.
4.1. Head Coaching Record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Conference Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | Charlotte | 14-19 | 9-9 | 7th (Conference USA) |
| 2016-17 | Charlotte | 13-17 | 7-11 | 10th (Conference USA) |
| 2017-18 | Charlotte | 3-6 | 0-0 | |
| Career | 30-42 (.417) | 16-20 (.444) | ||
5. Statistics
Mark Price's NBA career statistics reflect his consistent performance as a point guard and exceptional shooter.
5.1. Regular Season
| Year | Team | Games played | Games started | Minutes per game | Field goal percentage | 3-point field-goal percentage | Free-throw percentage | Rebounds per game | Assists per game | Steals per game | Blocks per game | Points per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-87 | Cleveland | 67 | 0 | 18.2 | .408 | .329 | .833 | 1.7 | 3.0 | .6 | .1 | 6.9 |
| 1987-88 | Cleveland | 80 | 79 | 32.8 | .506 | .486 | .877 | 2.3 | 6.0 | 1.2 | .2 | 16.0 |
| 1988-89 | Cleveland | 75 | 74 | 36.4 | .526 | .441 | .901 | 3.0 | 8.4 | 1.5 | .1 | 18.9 |
| 1989-90 | Cleveland | 73 | 73 | 37.1 | .459 | .406 | .888 | 3.4 | 9.1 | 1.6 | .1 | 19.6 |
| 1990-91 | Cleveland | 16 | 16 | 35.7 | .497 | .340 | .952 | 2.8 | 10.4 | 2.6 | .1 | 16.9 |
| 1991-92 | Cleveland | 72 | 72 | 29.7 | .488 | .387 | .947 | 2.4 | 7.4 | 1.3 | .2 | 17.3 |
| 1992-93 | Cleveland | 75 | 74 | 31.7 | .484 | .416 | .948 | 2.7 | 8.0 | 1.2 | .1 | 18.2 |
| 1993-94 | Cleveland | 76 | 73 | 31.4 | .478 | .397 | .888 | 3.0 | 7.8 | 1.4 | .1 | 17.3 |
| 1994-95 | Cleveland | 48 | 34 | 28.6 | .413 | .407 | .914 | 2.3 | 7.0 | .7 | .1 | 15.8 |
| 1995-96 | Washington | 7 | 1 | 18.1 | .300 | .333 | 1.000 | 1.0 | 2.6 | .9 | .0 | 8.0 |
| 1996-97 | Golden State | 70 | 49 | 26.8 | .447 | .396 | .906 | 2.6 | 4.9 | 1.0 | .0 | 11.3 |
| 1997-98 | Orlando | 63 | 33 | 22.7 | .431 | .335 | .845 | 2.0 | 4.7 | .8 | .1 | 9.5 |
| Career | 722 | 578 | 29.9 | .472 | .402 | .904 | 2.6 | 6.7 | 1.2 | .1 | 15.2 | |
| All-Star | 4 | 0 | 20.0 | .514 | .474 | .900 | 1.5 | 3.3 | 1.3 | .3 | 13.5 | |
5.2. Playoffs
| Year | Team | Games played | Games started | Minutes per game | Field goal percentage | 3-point field-goal percentage | Free-throw percentage | Rebounds per game | Assists per game | Steals per game | Blocks per game | Points per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Cleveland | 5 | 5 | 41.0 | .567 | .417 | .960 | 3.6 | 7.6 | .6 | .0 | 21.0 |
| 1989 | Cleveland | 4 | 4 | 39.5 | .386 | .375 | .933 | 3.3 | 5.5 | .8 | .0 | 16.0 |
| 1990 | Cleveland | 5 | 5 | 38.4 | .525 | .353 | 1.000 | 2.8 | 8.8 | 1.8 | .2 | 20.0 |
| 1992 | Cleveland | 17 | 17 | 35.5 | .496 | .362 | .904 | 2.5 | 7.5 | 1.4 | .2 | 19.2 |
| 1993 | Cleveland | 9 | 9 | 32.0 | .443 | .308 | .958 | 2.1 | 6.1 | 1.7 | .0 | 13.0 |
| 1994 | Cleveland | 3 | 3 | 34.0 | .349 | .222 | .929 | 2.0 | 4.7 | 1.3 | .0 | 15.0 |
| 1995 | Cleveland | 4 | 4 | 35.8 | .300 | .235 | .970 | 3.0 | 6.5 | 1.5 | .0 | 15.0 |
| Career | 47 | 47 | 36.0 | .464 | .337 | .944 | 2.6 | 7.0 | 1.4 | .1 | 17.4 | |
6. Legacy and Evaluation
Mark Price's impact on basketball extends beyond his playing statistics. He is widely recognized for his exceptional shooting prowess and his innovative approach to the game, particularly his pioneering of the "splitting the double team" maneuver, which became a foundational offensive strategy in the NBA.
Not long after his retirement, the Cleveland Cavaliers honored Price by retiring his jersey number, 25, a testament to his significant contributions to the franchise. Price is also a member of the Georgia, Ohio, and Oklahoma Sports Halls of Fame, recognizing his athletic achievements across multiple states.
In his hometown of Enid, Oklahoma, the local basketball arena was renamed the Mark Price Arena, a tribute to his accomplishments as one of the best basketball athletes in Enid High School history. His career is evaluated as that of a highly skilled and influential point guard whose shooting accuracy and strategic innovations left a lasting mark on the sport.
7. Personal Life
Mark Price is a Christian and attends church. He comes from a family deeply rooted in basketball. His father, Denny Price, was a successful player for the Oklahoma Sooners and the Phillips 66ers before becoming a college coach. Mark's younger brother, Brent Price, also had a professional basketball career, playing ten seasons in the NBA, including one season alongside Mark with the Washington Bullets. His daughter, Caroline, pursued professional tennis after her collegiate career at the North Carolina Tar Heels, and his son, Josh, played college basketball for Trevecca and Liberty Flames.