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Player profile · CHI / CLE / LAC / LAL
Ron Harper
Ron Harper stats, teams and career impact
#130 all-timeCareer averages · 13.8 PPG · 4.3 RPG · 3.9 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Shooting guard
- Final NBA team
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) · 185 lb (84 kg)
- Born
- January 20, 1964 (62 yrs old)
- College
- Miami University
- NBA seasons
- 15 seasons · 1986–87 to 2000–01
Career summaryRon Harper was a shooting guard who played 15 NBA seasons, from 1986–87 through 2000–01.
- Career PPG
- 13.8
- Career RPG
- 4.3
- Career APG
- 3.9
- #13 in 1989–90
- #130 all-time
Best-Season Impact Rank
Career Impact Rank
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
Career overview
Why Ron Harper ranks #130 all time
Ron Harper ranks #130 all time. Across his three best seasons, his average league finish was #14.0. His full-career value ranks #93, so longevity is a major reason he lands this high.
450+ minutes required per season
1,009 games · Career Value Rank #93
Head to head
Compare Ron Harper with…
Ten suggested matchups, selected from familiar debates, similar careers, and players from the same era. Compare career impact, peak seasons, and the numbers behind the result.
- Brent Barry Similar career path
- Chris Mullin Similar career path
- Maurice Cheeks Similar career path
- Shawn Marion Similar career path
- Alex English Similar career path
- Dominique Wilkins Similar career path
- Terry Porter Same-era comparison
- Kevin Johnson Same-era comparison
- Patrick Ewing Same-era comparison
- Jeff Hornacek Same-era comparison
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 44.6%FG%
- Three-point
- 28.9%3P%
- Free throw
- 72.0%FT%
1,009 career games · 31,199 minutes
Sources and updateConventional stats and measurements: Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 13, 2026. hussEyquation ranking data through 2025–26. Life dates: Wikidata; conflicting dates checked against Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 17, 2026.
Traditional box score
Ron Harper stats by season
Start with scoring and impact, then switch views for shooting or the full advanced picture. Career percentages use total makes and attempts.
Swipe for PPG · RPG · APG · Impact · Team · G · GS · MPG →
| 2000–01 | 6.5 | 3.5 | 2.4 | +0.52 | LAL | 47 | 46 | 24.2 | 46.9% | 26.4% | 70.8% | #95 | 54.8 |
| 1999–00 | 7.0 | 4.2 | 3.4 | +0.85 | LAL | 80 | 78 | 25.5 | 39.9% | 31.1% | 68.0% | #90 | 113.1 |
| 1998–99 | 11.2 | 5.1 | 3.3 | +4.09 | CHI | 35 | 35 | 31.6 | 37.7% | 31.8% | 70.3% | #19 | 123.7 |
| 1997–98 | 9.3 | 3.5 | 2.9 | +2.74 | CHI | 82 | 82 | 27.9 | 44.1% | 19.0% | 75.0% | #40 | 200.7 |
| 1996–97 | 6.3 | 2.5 | 2.5 | +3.41 | CHI | 76 | 74 | 22.9 | 43.6% | 36.2% | 70.7% | #26 | 176.5 |
| 1995–96 | 7.4 | 2.7 | 2.6 | +2.66 | CHI | 80 | 80 | 23.6 | 46.7% | 26.9% | 70.5% | #41 | 166.9 |
| 1994–95 | 6.9 | 2.3 | 2.0 | +0.48 | CHI | 77 | 53 | 19.9 | 42.6% | 28.2% | 61.8% | #104 | 73.2 |
| 1993–94 | 20.1 | 6.1 | 4.6 | +1.68 | LAC | 75 | 75 | 38.1 | 42.6% | 30.1% | 71.5% | #44 | 218.1 |
| 1992–93 | 18.0 | 5.3 | 4.5 | +2.98 | LAC | 80 | 77 | 37.1 | 45.1% | 28.0% | 76.9% | #23 | 305.4 |
| 1991–92 | 18.2 | 5.5 | 5.1 | +2.32 | LAC | 82 | 82 | 38.3 | 44.0% | 30.3% | 73.6% | #34 | 272.9 |
| 1990–91 | 19.6 | 4.8 | 5.4 | +1.75 | LAC | 39 | 34 | 35.5 | 39.1% | 32.4% | 66.8% | #54 | 107.9 |
| 1989–90 | 22.8 | 5.9 | 5.2 | +5.25 | CLE/LAC | 35 | 35 | 39.1 | 47.3% | 27.5% | 78.8% | #13 | 203.2 |
| 1988–89 | 18.6 | 5.0 | 5.3 | +5.06 | CLE | 82 | 82 | 34.8 | 51.1% | 25.0% | 75.1% | #10 | 410.7 |
| 1987–88 | 15.4 | 3.9 | 4.9 | +2.64 | CLE | 57 | 52 | 32.1 | 46.4% | 15.0% | 70.5% | #26 | 172.2 |
| 1986–87 | 22.9 | 4.8 | 4.8 | +2.91 | CLE | 82 | 82 | 37.4 | 45.5% | 21.3% | 68.4% | #22 | 317.2 |
| Career | 13.8 | 4.3 | 3.9 | — | CHI/CLE/LAC/LAL | 1009 | — | 30.9 | 44.6% | 28.9% | 72.0% | — | — |
Source: Basketball Reference regular-season totals, accessed Sep 13, 2026.
Film evidence
Ron Harper highlights
Watch the selected footage or film analysis, then use the season record and impact data to put what happened on the floor in context.
Career timeline
Ron Harper chronological career highlights
Ron Harper's career timeline adds visual context to the numbers on this page, especially his athletic scoring peak and later reinvention as a defensive guard. The vetted footage complements the season tables and impact model.
What these measures mean
- Era-centered box impact
- Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average.
- Impact Rate Rank
- The player's place among qualified players in one season.
- Value contribution / Season Value
- Completed seasons use a fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. The live season instead uses Season Value, combining that season's impact with workload.
- Career Impact Rank
- An all-time rank weighted toward the player's best three, five, and ten seasons.
17.3 composite · lower is better
17.4 average league finish
2,916 total value
Career standing
How Ron Harper ranks all time
These are league placements, not raw scores. Each season is judged against that season's qualified player pool.
Best in the league
Elite finishes
Upper-tier finishes
Tie-breaker across top-ten seasons
Career Composite Score17.3
Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes receive 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights. Missing seasons receive a replacement finish just below the player's typical qualified field. Lower is better.
- Best 3 effective weight
- 74%
- Missing-season finish
- —
- Qualified seasons
- 15
- All-time rank
- #130
Strongest seasons
Every season
Ron Harper advanced stats by season
Era-centered box impact supports comparisons through time. Impact Rate and its rank compare players only within that season.
More advanced statsAge, minutes, impact, rank, value and data coverage
Scroll for more columns
| 2000–01Historical Defense Estimate | LAL | 37 | 47 | 1,139 | +0.52 | 71.3 | #95 | 54.8 | 61st | Broad |
| 1999–00Historical Defense Estimate | LAL | 36 | 80 | 2,042 | +0.85 | 72.2 | #90 | 113.1 | 74th | Broad |
| 1998–99Historical Defense Estimate | CHI | 35 | 35 | 1,107 | +4.09 | 93.5 | #19 | 123.7 | 86th | Broad |
| 1997–98Historical Defense Estimate | CHI | 34 | 82 | 2,284 | +2.74 | 87.7 | #40 | 200.7 | 87th | Broad |
| 1996–97Historical Defense Estimate | CHI | 33 | 76 | 1,740 | +3.41 | 92.1 | #26 | 176.5 | 84th | Broad |
| 1995–96Historical Defense Estimate | CHI | 32 | 80 | 1,886 | +2.66 | 87.7 | #41 | 166.9 | 82nd | Broad |
| 1994–95Historical Defense Estimate | CHI | 31 | 77 | 1,536 | +0.48 | 66.7 | #104 | 73.2 | 65th | Broad |
| 1993–94Historical Defense Estimate | LAC | 30 | 75 | 2,856 | +1.68 | 85.2 | #44 | 218.1 | 89th | Broad |
| 1992–93Historical Defense Estimate | LAC | 29 | 80 | 2,970 | +2.98 | 92.5 | #23 | 305.4 | 95th | Broad |
| 1991–92Historical Defense Estimate | LAC | 28 | 82 | 3,144 | +2.32 | 88.6 | #34 | 272.9 | 92nd | Broad |
| 1990–91Historical Defense Estimate | LAC | 27 | 39 | 1,383 | +1.75 | 81.8 | #54 | 107.9 | 70th | Broad |
| 1989–90Historical Defense Estimate | CLE/LAC | 26 | 35 | 1,367 | +5.25 | 95.8 | #13 | 203.2 | 86th | Broad |
| 1988–89Historical Defense Estimate | CLE | 25 | 82 | 2,851 | +5.06 | 96.6 | #10 | 410.7 | 97th | Broad |
| 1987–88Historical Defense Estimate | CLE | 24 | 57 | 1,830 | +2.64 | 90.0 | #26 | 172.2 | 84th | Broad |
| 1986–87Historical Defense Estimate | CLE | 23 | 82 | 3,064 | +2.91 | 91.8 | #22 | 317.2 | 94th | Broad |
Career movement
Ron Harper's career impact by season
Peak +5.25 in 1989–90 · 15 seasons · 31,199 minutes
The same historical box-score model is used for every season, making the career shape comparable through time. The vertical scale adapts to this player's range and always includes zero.
Era-centered box impactMinutes
Player-specific impact scaleWorkload
Career comparison
Compare the shape, not the calendar
Align by NBA experience to compare season one with season one, or by age to compare players at the same stage of life.
Ron HarperBrent Barry
| NBA season | Ron Harper | Brent Barry |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2.9 | 1.8 |
| 2 | 2.6 | 1.4 |
| 3 | 5.1 | 0.7 |
| 4 | 5.2 | 1.3 |
| 5 | 1.8 | 2.2 |
| 6 | 2.3 | 3.0 |
| 7 | 3.0 | 5.0 |
| 8 | 1.7 | 2.6 |
| 9 | 0.5 | 2.9 |
| 10 | 2.7 | 2.1 |
| 11 | 3.4 | 3.1 |
| 12 | 2.7 | 3.9 |
| 13 | 4.1 | 4.0 |
| 14 | 0.8 | -0.7 |
| 15 | 0.5 | Did not play |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to Ron Harper
The career-similarity score compares era-centered box impact, peak, prime, workload, career length, position, and experience-aligned trajectory. It describes career shape, not playing style, equal ability, or probability.
SG · All-Time Career #162
Brent Barry
92career similarity score
85/100 closest-season score · 1989–90 ↔ 2000–01SF · All-Time Career #136Chris Mullin
91career similarity score
86/100 closest-season score · 1989–90 ↔ 1987–88PG · All-Time Career #100Maurice Cheeks
90career similarity score
82/100 closest-season score · 1989–90 ↔ 1981–82Impact Rate shows how strong a player was compared with everyone else that season. Season Value adds how much he played; completed player-profile rows instead show each season's fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. Career Impact Rank rewards a high peak, a long prime, and repeated seasons near the top. Older seasons use clearly labeled estimates where the NBA did not record today's full set of statistics. Read how every ranking works →