MIAMI (AP) -Former Miami Heat star Glen Rice was arrested Friday on a felony battery charge after police say he beat a man he found hiding in his estranged wife's closet.

Rice went to the home of estranged wife Christina Rice and punched Alberto Perez several times, police said. Perez fled the home and called police. He received a cut to his forehead that needed nine stitches, police said.

The 6-foot-8 Rice surrendered to police and was released after posting $5,000 bond. It was not immediately known if he had an attorney.

Rice was selected by the Heat in the first round of the 1989 draft out of Michigan, where he won an NCAA championship and is the school's all-time leading scorer.

The 40-year-old Rice played six seasons with the Heat and 15 overall, averaging 18.3 points. Along with the Heat, he played with the Charlotte Hornets, the New York Knicks, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Clippers, retiring after the 2003-04 season.

Rice won an NBA championship with the 2000 Lakers and was the MVP of the 1997 All-Star Game.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.