Ronnie L. Valentine (born November 27, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player.
College A 6'7" forward, Valentine attended Old Dominion University from 1976 to 1980. He set a school record with 2,204 points in his college career and scored ten points or more in 101 consecutive games.Thomas R. Garrett, Clay Shampoe, and Paul Webb. Old Dominion University Men's Basketball. Arcadia Publishing, 2007. 60. His career high for the Old Dominion Monarchs was 44 points in a game against Tulane University during his sophomore year. As a senior in 1980, he led Old Dominion to their first appearance in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, where the team fell to UCLA.Ronnie Valentine Profile at Old Dominion Athletics. Retrieved on February 12, 2009.
Professional career After college, Valentine was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 51st pick of the 1980 NBA draft. He played 24 games for the Nuggets during the 1980–81 NBA season, scoring 84 points. Valentine later played in the Continental Basketball Association, the United States Basketball League,History of the United States Basketball League at APBR.org. Retrieved on February 12, 2009. and in Italy. In 1982, he earned the CBA's MVP Award after averaging 32 points per game for the Montana Golden Nuggets.Randy Beard. "Thriller's top sub makes the most of his minutes". The Evening Independent. February 5, 1985. Retrieved on February 12, 2009. He also led the West team with 25 points in the 1982 CBA All-Star Game."Valentine leads West". Washington Post. January 31, 1982. Retrieved on February 12, 2009. He won CBA championships with the Tampa Bay / Rapid City Thrillers in 1985 and 1987. After his playing career ended, Valentine lived homeless on the streets of Miami for 27 years.
Career statistics
NBA Source
Regular season {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right;" !Year !Team !GP !MPG !FG% !3P% !FT% !RPG !APG !SPG !BPG !PPG |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Denver | 24 || 5.1 || .378 || .500 || .474 || 1.3 || .3 || .3 || .2 || 3.5
Honors Valentine was inducted into Old Dominion University's Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.Old Dominion University Hall of Fame Members at Old Dominion Athletics. Retrieved on February 12, 2009.
References