Rod Strickland
A point guard with a magician's flair for passing, he orchestrated offenses for 17 NBA seasons with a unique, ground-bound genius.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American basketball player and coach·Birthday: July 11·Generation X
Biography
Rod Strickland's basketball journey is a tale of pure, unadulterated floor generalship. Emerging from the Bronx and honing his craft at DePaul, he entered the NBA not as a high-flyer but as a tactician. For 17 seasons, Strickland was the quarterback every team wanted, most famously leading the league in assists during the 1997-98 season with the Washington Wizards. His game was built on a devastating hesitation dribble, impeccable timing, and a knack for delivering passes only his teammates saw coming. While All-Star accolades were curiously sparse, his peers and purists recognized him as one of the era's premier playmakers. After his playing days, he transitioned into coaching and player development, focusing on mentoring the next generation, a role that culminated in his appointment as head coach at Long Island University in 2024.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Rod was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rod Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Rod's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the NBA in total assists during the 1997-98 season while playing for the Washington Wizards.
- Named to the All-NBA Second Team in 1998, his sole All-Star caliber season recognition.
- Averaged a double-double (17.2 points, 10.5 assists) for the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1994-95 season.
- Played in 1,094 NBA regular-season games over 17 seasons for nine different franchises.
Did You Know?
He is the godfather to NBA star Kyrie Irving, whose father, Drederick, was Strickland's teammate at Boston University.
His son, Rod Strickland Jr., played college basketball for Western Kentucky University.
He was famously selected by the New York Knicks in the 1988 NBA Draft, a hometown pick that thrilled local fans.
“A true point guard sees the game two passes ahead of everyone else.”
