Tripucka played for the Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz and was a member of the Charlotte Hornets during their inaugural season in the NBA.

The son of NFL Pro-Bowl (and CFL) quarterback Frank Tripucka, Kelly was a color analyst for the New York Knicks for four years, ending with the 2011–12 season.

[3] In three varsity seasons he scored 2,278 points, including 1,045 during his senior campaign, and his jersey (#42) was retired by Bloomfield High School.

[1] He also helped lead Notre Dame to the NCAA Tournament in each of his four years, with the Irish earning their first, and to this point, their only Final Four appearance in 1978.

After five successful seasons in Detroit, the Pistons traded Tripucka and teammate Kent Benson to the Utah Jazz for Adrian Dantley and future draft picks.

After two frustrating seasons with the Jazz, Tripucka was traded to the Charlotte Hornets (a new expansion team at the time) for Mike Brown.

The 1990–91 season, Tripucka's third with the Hornets and tenth overall, saw him average career lows with only 7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, as he came off the bench.

After failing to find suitors in the NBA, Tripucka signed with French Nationale 1A club CSP Limoges for the 1991–1992 season.

Tripucka joined the New York Knicks MSG broadcast team on November 7, 2008, placing him alongside Walt "Clyde" Frazier, Gus Johnson and Mike Breen.

He is one of six Pistons to have scored 40 or more in a playoff game, along with Dave Bing, Isiah Thomas, Jerry Stackhouse, Chauncey Billups and Richard (Rip) Hamilton.