Acie Boyd Earl (born June 23, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who appeared in four National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons as a center and power forward. He also played extensively in Europe and other international leagues.
Early Life and Education: Born in Peoria, Illinois, Earl attended Moline High School in Moline, Illinois, where he played varsity basketball for three seasons. He played college basketball at the University of Iowa for coach Tom Davis from 1989 to 1993. He graduated as the 1992 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and held the Iowa career record with 358 blocked shots. He finished second in total points scored at Iowa with 1,779 points.
NBA Career: Earl was selected in the first round of the 1993 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics with the 19th overall pick. He played 74 games in his rookie season, averaging 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. After two seasons with the Celtics, he was selected by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 NBA expansion draft. With the Raptors, he posted his best statistical season, averaging 7.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. On April 12, 1996, against the Celtics, he recorded a double-double with 40 points and 12 rebounds. Midway through the 1996–97 season, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, appearing in nine games in his final NBA season. Over his NBA career (193 games), he averaged 5.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per game.
International Career: After his NBA tenure, Earl played professionally in France (Paris Basket Racing), Australia (Sydney Kings), Turkey (Türk Telekom Ankara, Darüşşafaka), Russia (UNICS Kazan, Avtodor Saratov), Poland (Śląsk Wrocław), Austria (Arkadia Traiskirchen Lions), Montenegro (KK Budućnost Podgorica), and Kosovo (KB Peja), among other destinations. He retired in 2004.
Post-Playing Career: Earl moved into coaching, managing the Tijuana Dragons of the American Basketball Association in 2005. He has also worked as an adjunct professor and CEO of Venom Sports Training.
