# Mark Price
**Mark Price** (William Mark Price; born 1964 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma) is an American former professional basketball point guard who played twelve seasons in the NBA, nine of them with the [Cleveland Cavaliers](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland-cavaliers), and retired as the best free-throw shooter in league history at 90.4 percent for his career[1](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=PR013). A four-time NBA All-Star, he averaged 15.2 points and 6.7 assists over his career and later worked as a coach, including a return to his alma mater, [Georgia Tech](https://www.edgepedia.org/georgia-tech)[1](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=PR013) • [2](https://ramblinwreck.com/news/1999/08/12/mark-price-has-come-home-to-georgia-tech-basketball).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / physical profile | 1964, Bartlesville, Oklahoma; 6 feet 0 inches, 170 pounds[1](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=PR013) • [3](https://www.cavshistory.com/players/mark-price/) |
| Draft | Second round, 25th overall, by the Dallas Mavericks in 1986; acquired by Cleveland on June 17, 1986 for a 1989 second-round pick and other considerations[3](https://www.cavshistory.com/players/mark-price/) |
| Cleveland totals | 582 games, 16.4 points, 7.2 assists, and .906 free-throw shooting per game averages[3](https://www.cavshistory.com/players/mark-price/) |
| Career averages | 15.2 points and 6.7 assists over 12 NBA seasons; four-time All-Star[1](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=PR013) |
| Free-throw record | 90.4 percent career, the best in NBA history at his retirement[1](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=PR013) |
| All-NBA | First team in 1992-93 and three third-team selections (1989, 1992, 1994)[4](https://www.sportsnostalgiahq.com/mark-price-hall-of-fame/) • [5](https://basketballshooting.com/mark-price/) |
| Honors | Jersey number 25 retired by the Cavaliers in 1999; ACC Legends Class of 2013[5](https://basketballshooting.com/mark-price/) • [6](https://ramblinwreck.com/mark-price-acc-legends-class-of-2013/) |
## Early life in Oklahoma
Price grew up in a basketball family. His father, Denny, starred for Norman High School and the [University of Oklahoma](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-oklahoma) and later coached in Enid[1](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=PR013). Mark graduated from Enid High School in 1982 after being named the Daily Oklahoman's high school player of the year, tying his father's state-tournament scoring record with 42 points in the first round of the 1982 tournament and leading his class in scoring as a junior and senior[1](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=PR013).
## Georgia Tech career
Price left Oklahoma to play at Georgia Tech under head coach Bobby Cremins, and his arrival coincided with the program's rise in the [Atlantic Coast Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlantic-coast-conference). As a freshman in 1982-83 he led the ACC in scoring at 20.3 points per game, in a conference that included [Michael Jordan](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-jordan)[1](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=PR013) • [7](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/mark-price-1.html). Only three other players in ACC history had matched his feat of making first- or second-team All-ACC in all four varsity seasons, and he was selected four times overall, three of those on the first team.[6](https://ramblinwreck.com/mark-price-acc-legends-class-of-2013/)
The peak came in 1985, when Price led Georgia Tech to its first ACC championship and was named ACC Player of the Year[6](https://ramblinwreck.com/mark-price-acc-legends-class-of-2013/) • [8](https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/former-nba-star-mark-price-gets-new-title-at-alma-mater/). In ACC tournament play he scored 162 points in nine games, an 18.0 average, still among the conference's career tournament totals[9](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/acc.sidearmsports.com/documents/2021/2/28/2021_ACCT_Record_Book.pdf). He finished his college career as Tech's second all-time scorer and its leader in assists and steals, and he held school records for three-point field goals in a game, a season, and a career[1](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=PR013) • [10](https://repository.gatech.edu/bitstreams/8e349f0a-33f2-4543-bca6-77ac4635a51c/download). His college career scoring average was 17.4 points per game over 126 games[7](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/mark-price-1.html).
## Cleveland Cavaliers, 1986-1995
The [Dallas Mavericks](https://www.edgepedia.org/dallas-mavericks) drafted Price 25th overall in the second round of the 1986 [NBA draft](https://www.edgepedia.org/nba-draft) and immediately traded him to Cleveland, a deal the Cavaliers completed on June 17, 1986 for their 1989 second-round choice and other considerations[3](https://www.cavshistory.com/players/mark-price/). In [Cleveland](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland) he became the floor leader of the contending Cavaliers teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s, playing nine seasons there[2](https://ramblinwreck.com/news/1999/08/12/mark-price-has-come-home-to-georgia-tech-basketball).
His Cleveland peak ran from 1988-89 through 1993-94, when he averaged between 17.3 and 19.6 points and between 7.4 and 10.4 assists per game; his 1990-91 season, cut to 16 games, still produced 10.4 assists per game[3](https://www.cavshistory.com/players/mark-price/). He made four All-Star games (1989, 1992, 1993, and 1994) and earned All-NBA recognition four times, including first team in 1992-93[3](https://www.cavshistory.com/players/mark-price/) • [4](https://www.sportsnostalgiahq.com/mark-price-hall-of-fame/). For seven seasons he played under Hall of Fame coach [Lenny Wilkens](https://www.edgepedia.org/lenny-wilkens)[5](https://basketballshooting.com/mark-price/).
**Shooting marks.** Price's signature was accuracy. He made more than 40 percent of his three-point attempts for his career (.409 with Cleveland) and finished with a .906 free-throw percentage in Cavaliers uniform, still the franchise record[1](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=PR013) • [3](https://www.cavshistory.com/players/mark-price/). He won the NBA's long-distance shootout twice on All-Star weekend[1](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=PR013). He left holding Cleveland franchise records for assists, steals, three-point field goals made and attempted, and free-throw percentage[1](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=PR013). In the playoffs he averaged 17.4 points and 7.0 assists over 47 games[3](https://www.cavshistory.com/players/mark-price/).
## Later NBA years
Cleveland traded Price to the Washington Bullets in 1995. The [Golden State Warriors](https://www.edgepedia.org/golden-state-warriors) signed him in 1996 and traded him to the [Orlando Magic](https://www.edgepedia.org/orlando-magic) in 1997, and he retired from the NBA at the end of the 1998 season[1](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=PR013). He also represented the United States as a member of Dream Team II, which won the gold medal at the 1994 World Championships[2](https://ramblinwreck.com/news/1999/08/12/mark-price-has-come-home-to-georgia-tech-basketball). Basketball-[Reference](https://www.edgepedia.org/reference) lists his career playing earnings at at least $29,709,920[11](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/pricema01.html).
## Playing style and legacy
At 6 feet and 170 pounds, Price succeeded despite recurring doubts about his size, becoming one of the country's best point guards in college and a four-time All-Star professionally[6](https://ramblinwreck.com/mark-price-acc-legends-class-of-2013/). Analysts rank his efficiency highly among historical guards: [Bleacher Report](https://www.edgepedia.org/bleacher-report)'s ranking of the greatest point guards notes his .472 career field-goal percentage and places him among the select players to make both 40 percent of his three-pointers and 90 percent of his free throws, with a career true shooting percentage of .586[12](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2223084-br-nba-legends-100-ranking-the-greatest-point-guards-of-all-time).
**Hall of Fame status.** Price is not in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Commentators reviewing the central-division candidates describe him and teammate [Brad Daugherty](https://www.edgepedia.org/brad-daugherty-basketball) as the best retired players not enshrined, with injuries during Price's career subordinating his case relative to the many great point guards awaiting induction[13](https://hoopsanalyst.com/hof-review-central-division/). A retrospective assessment argues that without a title or a larger haul of All-NBA and All-Star selections, his career totals fell short of induction[4](https://www.sportsnostalgiahq.com/mark-price-hall-of-fame/).
## Coaching and post-retirement life
After retiring, Price settled in Georgia with his wife, Laura, and their children and began an extensive coaching career[1](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=PR013) • [6](https://ramblinwreck.com/mark-price-acc-legends-class-of-2013/). In 1999 he returned to Georgia Tech as an assistant on Cremins's staff for the 1999-2000 season, calling the job "a dream come true"; he had shown his loyalty to the school earlier by donating $100,000 toward the renovation of Alexander Memorial Coliseum in 1995[2](https://ramblinwreck.com/news/1999/08/12/mark-price-has-come-home-to-georgia-tech-basketball) • [5](https://basketballshooting.com/mark-price/). He was inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame in 1991, and his number 25 jersey was retired by the Cavaliers in 1999[10](https://repository.gatech.edu/bitstreams/8e349f0a-33f2-4543-bca6-77ac4635a51c/download) • [5](https://basketballshooting.com/mark-price/). Away from basketball he served as a volunteer music director at his [Duluth, Georgia](https://www.edgepedia.org/duluth-georgia) church, where he often sang as a vocal soloist, as he had in his college days[2](https://ramblinwreck.com/news/1999/08/12/mark-price-has-come-home-to-georgia-tech-basketball).
## References
1. [Price, William Mark, The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=PR013)
2. [Mark Price Has Come Home to Georgia Tech Basketball, RamblinWreck.com (August 1999)](https://ramblinwreck.com/news/1999/08/12/mark-price-has-come-home-to-georgia-tech-basketball)
3. [CavsHistory: Mark Price](https://www.cavshistory.com/players/mark-price/)
4. [Why Isn't Mark Price in the Hall of Fame?, Sports Nostalgia HQ](https://www.sportsnostalgiahq.com/mark-price-hall-of-fame/)
5. [Mark Price, BasketballShooting.com](https://basketballshooting.com/mark-price/)
6. [Mark Price, ACC Legends Class of 2013, RamblinWreck.com](https://ramblinwreck.com/mark-price-acc-legends-class-of-2013/)
7. [Mark Price College Stats, Sports-Reference](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/mark-price-1.html)
8. [Former NBA star Mark Price gets new title at alma mater, Baptist Press](https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/former-nba-star-mark-price-gets-new-title-at-alma-mater/)
9. [Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament, ACC Tournament Record Book (2021)](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/acc.sidearmsports.com/documents/2021/2/28/2021_ACCT_Record_Book.pdf)
10. [Georgia Tech basketball media guide entry for #25 Mark Price, Georgia Tech Repository](https://repository.gatech.edu/bitstreams/8e349f0a-33f2-4543-bca6-77ac4635a51c/download)
11. [Mark Price Stats, Basketball-Reference.com](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/pricema01.html)
12. [B/R NBA Legends 100: Ranking the Greatest Point Guards of All Time, Bleacher Report](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2223084-br-nba-legends-100-ranking-the-greatest-point-guards-of-all-time)
13. [HOF Review: Central Division, Hoops Analyst](https://hoopsanalyst.com/hof-review-central-division/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › NBA players, 1980–1995 › NBA guards, 1980–1995*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license