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Center · 1975–79, 1982–83

Rich Kelley

Stanford's 7-footer won bronze with Team USA at the 1974 FIBA World Championship, then became the New Orleans Jazz's first-round pick, seventh overall, in 1975. Across two Jazz tours in an eleven-season career, 1978-79 stands out — 15.7 points and 12.8 rebounds a game, second in the league on the glass, plus a franchise-record 166 blocked shots.

Then came a business life as varied as any ex-center's: a Stanford MBA, CEO of the minor-league San Jose Giants, early investments in Coinstar and other startups, and in 2004 co-founding Search Fund Partners. Stanford inducted him into its Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985.

HOW HE CAME & WENTNew Orleans took him seventh overall in 1975. He was traded to New Jersey in 1979 in the deal for Bernard King and came back to Utah for one more season in 1982.

Full name
Richard Ryland Kelley
Jazz tenure — New Orleans & Utah
1975–79, 1982–83
Position
Center
Born
1953, Los Angeles
Height
7′0″ (213 cm)
Weight
236 lb (107 kg)
College
Stanford
Drafted
1975, 1st round (No. 7), New Orleans
Signature in the archive 1978-79 Topps NBA card Authentic IP / TTM

No photograph of this signature is online yet.

With the Jazz

RICH KELLEY · 1975–79, 1982–83 · PER GAME
SEASONTEAMGMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFG%3P%FT%
1975–76NOJ7517.97.07.02.10.70.8.485.776
1976–77NOJ7619.86.97.72.70.60.8.477.792
1977–78NOJ8225.810.29.32.81.11.6.505.779
1978–79NOJ8033.815.712.83.61.62.1.506.814
1982–83UTA3224.47.27.32.51.00.7.467.829
1983–84UTA7522.35.26.52.10.70.4.500.765
1984–85UTA7716.63.84.51.60.50.4.477.000.750
JAZZ TOTAL7 SEASONS49722.98.18.02.50.91.0.494.000.791

Season by season, regular season, with this franchise only. More info: Basketball-Reference ↗  ·  Wikipedia ↗

Did you know

RICH KELLEY · 6 NOTES
  • Was drafted by the Jazz in New Orleans and returned to the franchise years later in Utah.
  • Earned a Stanford MBA and went into finance after basketball — long regarded as one of the most intellectual men ever to play the position.
  • His post-basketball résumé runs from CEO of baseball's San Jose Giants to early stakes in tech startups like Coinstar.
  • He averaged a double-double across three Stanford seasons, 18.6 points and 12.4 rebounds, and was a three-time All-Pac-8 pick.
  • The ABA's New York Nets drafted him as an underclassman in 1974, but he turned them down to finish at Stanford.
  • He was part of the Jazz side that won the 1983-84 Midwest Division title.