Ray Scott (basketball)
John Raymond "Ray" Scott (born July 12, 1938) is an American former professional basketball player and coach.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 12, 1938 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | West Philadelphia (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Portland (1957–1958) |
| NBA draft | 1961 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall |
| Selected by the Detroit Pistons | |
| Playing career | 1958–1972 |
| Position | Power forward / Center |
| Number | 22, 12, 31 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1958–1961 | Allentown Jets |
| 1961–1967 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1967–1970 | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1970–1972 | Virginia Squires |
| As coach: | |
| 1972–1976 | Detroit Pistons |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career NBA and ABA statistics | |
| Points | 11,269 (14.3 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 7,979 (9.8 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,781 (2.2 apg) |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Playing career
A 6'9" forward/center who played college basketball at the University of Portland, Scott was selected with the fourth pick of the 1961 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, and was a deadly shooter near the perimeter of the court. Scott had an 11-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the American Basketball Association (ABA), with the Pistons, Baltimore Bullets, and Virginia Squires.
Coaching career
Scott coached the Pistons for three and a half seasons, from 1972 to 1976. In 1974, he won the NBA Coach of the Year Award after guiding the Pistons to a 52–30 regular season record. Scott was fired by the Pistons on January 26, 1976, and replaced with assistant Herb Brown. At the time he was fired, the Pistons were 17–25. In March 1976, Scott was hired as the head basketball coach at Eastern Michigan University. Over three seasons, he guided EMU to a 29–52 record. Eastern Michigan fired Scott in March 1979.
Personal
After his coaching career, Scott went into private business. He also has held the position of ambassador for children and families for the Wellspring Lutheran service agency in Michigan.[1] In February 2008, Scott was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.[1] In April 2008, during a celebration of the Pistons' 50th anniversary, he was named one of the "30 All-Time Pistons". In November 2017, Scott was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. The retired Scott is also an inductee into the Brooklyn and Hampton Roads, Va. Halls of Fame.After a long career with Colonial Life insurance company Scott settled in Michigan and is active in community affairs.