As he got older, he developed a dream. He decided he would, one day, play for his father. It took some time, but here he is in Seattle, working with his dad every day.
“Growing up, my biggest dream was to play for my dad,” Rice said. “Due to certain circumstances, my first two years in college, that wasn’t able to happen, but coach Hopkins gave me the opportunity to live my dream and come play for my dad, while also getting a great education here. I’m forever thankful for that.”
When Rice was younger, his father would share advice, but it was always coming from the perspective of a parent. Now there are the dual roles of coach and parent.
“This is the first time he’s really coached me,” Rice said. “It’s a great feeling, a great experience. When we’re on the court he’s my coach, but off the court, he’s still my dad. He’s great at separating the two, definitely a little harder on me than anyone else, but I totally understand it and I love that he does it. It’s cool, because I get to see a different side of him.”
Rice now gets to play the game he loves while spending each day working with his father. His dream came true.