Fines, Suspensions, and BS: The Isaiah Rider Era in Atlanta

“It was the worst trade I was involved with in more than 30-some years in the NBA.”

These are the infamous words of former Atlanta Hawks general manager Pete Babcock when asked about the summer 99′ deal that brought Isaiah Rider to the team.

In theory, Rider was supposed to be the cornerstone of a rebuild. In practice, he set the franchise back nearly a decade. This is the story.

The Anti-Steve Smith

By the end of the 1998-99 season, the Atlanta Hawks had hit a ceiling like an NBA center walking into a downtown condo apartment.

Their veteran core made up of All-NBA defender and cookie monster Dikembe Mutombo, point guard Mookie “The Thief” Blaylock, and all-around pro Steve Smith had just been bounced from the second round of the playoffs for the third time in the last four years.

Changes were coming and Smith happened to be one of them.

It wasn’t because he wasn’t any good, Smith had been an All-Star the prior season, or because he wasn’t well-liked. By all accounts, Steve Smith is the kind of guy you’d want your daughter to date.

But Smitty had one of the largest contracts on the team, as he was due more than $15 million dollars over the next two years. So what happened next was just “bizness” as lizards in suits would say.

On Monday, August 2, 1999, the Hawks traded Smith to the Trail Blazers for the anti-Steve Smith and someone you presumably wouldn’t want your daughter to date, Isaiah “J.R.” Rider.

To his credit, GM Pete Babcock didn’t want to do the deal and even said “I regretted making the trade for Rider before we made the trade,” but his hand was forced by ownership, who ended up with a far bigger problem on their hands than the one they were trying to solve.

Killing the East Coast

A 6 foot 5 prep star from Cali, balling out was never a problem for J.R. Rider.

He was drafted 5th overall by the T’Wolves in 1993 and was averaging 20 points per game by his sophomore season. He even stole the show at the 94′ Dunk Contest.

There was just one problem.

J.R.’s behavior off the court behavior wasn’t very star-like. He missed his very first NBA practice, reportedly once kicked a sports bar manager, liked to smoke a lil’ weed from time to time, and owned an illegal cell phone… don’t ask what an illegal cell phone is.

But, as is often the case with star athletes, so long as he kept putting up numbers and the team was winning, all would be forgiven.

Well, the winning didn’t exactly materialize, so the Wolves shockingly shipped out their leading scorer to Portland after just three seasons. Who dafuq does that🤷

By now I’m sure you get the picture though – a troubled young player that likes to smoke a little green and rap – check out Funk in the Trunk, I promise you won’t regret it. But one that also possesses star qualities with huge potential upside.

This was enough for the Hawks to take a flier on Rider, reasoning that since he was nearing the end of his contract, they could quickly move off him if things went South after he arrived down South.

That’s exactly what happened.

Although things started out well enough, with Rider “Killing the East Coast” in his own words, putting up multiple 30-point games, including a 38-point effort against the Clippers just a few weeks before Christmas.

It wouldn’t be long before J.R. reverted back to his old habits.

That’s Why I Was Reluctant to Come to this Bitch

The first sign of trouble appeared when he didn’t show up for practice the day before a mid-November game against the Hornets, for which the Hawks suspended him and things quickly snowballed from there.

After word got out that he smoked some of his much-beloved reefer in an Orlando hotel room, which Rider subsequently blamed on teammates Dikembe Mutombo and LaPhonso Ellis for narcing him out, the league got involved and asked that he attend drug counseling.

When he in-politely refused, they fined him $200,000.

J.R. even repeatedly parked in the space reserved for Atlanta Thrashers head coach Curt Fraser at what is now State Farm Arena.

But the thing that brought the short yet eventful six-month Isaiah Rider era in Atlanta to an abrupt end was a hotly disputed three-game suspension.

Grab your official Hawks gear from the NBA Store. No Isaiah Rider jersey, unfortunately(

Rider was allegedly told he would be instantly suspended for three games if he violated team rules again.

Immediately following this warning, he showed up 10 minutes late for a game against the Celtics on March 17th.

When GM Pete Babcock told him his suspension would start that night, Rider said he was “tired of this BS” and asked to be released from his contract instead.

Having grown weary of J.R.’s exploits, the Hawks were more than happy to oblige and the two mercifully parted ways.

As a final parting gift, Rider told the media “I don’t give a fack. I want to win”, that’s why I was reluctant to come to this bitch” when asked about his release.

Motivational words that I’ll always remember.

The Atlanta Hawks finished the 1999-00 season with a 28-54 record, one of the worst in the league, and ended up missing the playoffs eight of the next nine seasons.

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