Richard Melzer

Richard Melzer (born December 8, 1979 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American professional basketball player who has played in the Australian National Basketball League, the German Bundesliga, NBA D-League, Continental Basketball Association, as well as stints in France and Israel. He primarily plays power forward.

Melzer was named NCAA Division III Player of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the D-III News as a senior at Wisconsin–River Falls. He earned First Team All-America honours from the NABC his junior and senior seasons. He was named All-WIAC his last three seasons and was named league MVP his final two years and finished his career as the school's second all time leading scorer with 2, 363 points, the third all-time leading rebounder with 821 boards, and the all-time leading shot-blocker with 186 rejections.

Melzer has spent time trying out with the NBA's Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls and the Orlando Magic in the last two years. He also earned a spot on the San Antonio Spurs but was not named to the teams final roster. He led the Sioux Falls Skyforce to the Continental Basketball Association Championship in 2005. He also won a title with San Carlos in the Dominican Republic League and was voted MVP of the National Finals.

Melzer spent the 2005-06 season with the New Zealand Breakers of the NBL, earning NBL Player of the Week in Week 20.

Melzer signed a two-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs in the summer of 2006 and appeared in four preseason games, averaging 2.8 points in 7.8 minutes. He was released by the Spurs on October 20, 2006.

Melzer signed a month contract with ASVEL Villeurbanne of France, before moving to play in Hapoel Gilboa/Afula of Israel in January, 2007.

Melzer is a 1999 graduate of River Falls High School in Wisconsin. His brother Michael Grinnell is also a basketball prospect. Grinnell is playing for Carleton College in Minnesota since the Fall of 2008.

Melzer also played for Artland Dragons Quakenbrueck in the German Bundesliga.

In July, 2009, it was announced that Melzer would return to Australia, to play for the Cairns Taipans. He again won a Player of the Week award, but his form declined during the year and he returned to the United States to play for Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA Development League.

Prior to the 2010/2011 season Melzer returned to Israel, and signed with Hapoel Holon, which is coached by Dani Franco (who coach him when he played for Hapoel Gilboa/Afula).

In June 2011 signed a two-year contract with the New Yorker Phantoms in the German Bundesliga.