James Ray (basketball)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 27, 1957 New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
L. B. Landry (New Orleans, Louisiana) |
| College | Jacksonville (1976–1980) |
| NBA draft | 1980 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall |
| Selected by the Denver Nuggets | |
| Position | Power forward |
| Number | 43 |
| Career history | |
| 1980–1983 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1983–1984 | Berloni Torino |
| 1985–1986 | Peñas Huesca |
| 1986–1987 | Fenerbahçe |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
James Ray (born July 27, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player. After playing college basketball at Jacksonville University, he was drafted fifth overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 1980 NBA Draft. He subsequently played three seasons for the team, appearing in 103 games and finishing with career averages of 3.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. Moving to Europe, he went on to play professionally in Italy, Spain and Turkey.
Post-career
In 2001, Ray was diagnosed with sarcoidosis.[1] Due to his failing health and financial challenges, the NBA's retired players association provided him support.[2] In 2008, Ray received a transplant, soon after receiving a diagnosis of having three months to live without one. The likelihood of receiving a transplant had been rated poorly, due to his need, at 6'9, of receiving lungs from a person taller than 6'5.[3]