Acie Law IV (born January 25, 1985) is an American
basketball player at point guard who currently plays
for the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. In his four seasons at
Texas A&M University, Law scored 1,653 points and
was credited with 540 assists. Nicknamed "Captain
Clutch" for his ability to take over the game late,
Law is well known among Aggie basketball fans for
"The Shot," his buzzer-beating 3-pointer to beat the
arch-rival Texas Longhorns at Reed Arena on March 1,
2006, as well as for his play in the Aggies'
stunning 69-66 upset win against Kansas (the only
Big 12 South team to win at Allen Fieldhouse) on
February 3, 2007. Due to his contributions to Texas
A&M, the Texas A&M athletic department decided to
hang Law's No. 1 jersey on the rafters in Reed
Arena. He became the first Aggie in any sport to
have the honor.
Acie Law IV was born in Dallas, Texas to Acie and
Dolores Law. He was named for his great-grandfather
(Acie Law, Sr.), whom he never met; his grandfather
(Acie Law, Jr.), who died in 1997 after suffering a
heart attack from the excitement of watching a
boxing match with young Acie IV; and his father,
Acie III, who played point guard at Navarro Junior
College. Law has an older brother, Lamont, and two
younger sisters, Vivien and Frances. Law is the
great-nephew of Chicago Cubs great Ernie Banks. Law
has a tattoo on his right arm that reads "Lord's
Favorite Lawman," and one on his left arm that is
from Psalms 91 and 93.
Law was recruited by the University of Oklahoma,
Oklahoma State University, University of
Connecticut, University of Texas at Austin and
Georgia Tech. In order to stay close to home, and
because he wanted to have an immediate impact, Law
chose to play for Texas A&M under Coach Melvin
Watkins.
While in junior high, Law broke his right hand
during basketball practice. In order to continue to
compete, the naturally right-handed Law taught
himself to shoot the basketball with his left hand.
After recovering from his injury, Law was able to
shoot with either hand, but as of 2007 still
primarily relied on his left-hand to shoot from a
long distance. His left-handed jump shots are
unusual, however, because the ball has hardly any
spin, instead flying straight into the basket. After
much examination, Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie
realized that this is because Law uses his right
thumb when he shoots, negating the spin. To help
improve his form, Gillispie ordered Law to tape his
right thumb against his hand in practice and try
shooting without it. Law was unable to make the
shots, and Gillispie quickly decided not to
intervene further.
Law lives in southwest Atlanta with his college
sweetheart, Tiffany Settle, who is enrolled at
nearby Kennesaw State University, and his younger
sister, Vivian, who attends Woodward Academy, a
private school in College Park, Georgia. Law
relocated Vivian from their home in Dallas after
deciding before the NBA draft that he would take her
wherever he would go. According to Vivian, Law shows
great affection towards her, and is very strict on
her studies and how she spends her time. In the fall
of 2007, Law's parents moved to Atlanta, settling
near Lenox Square.
