Ray Scott (basketball)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 12, 1938 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| 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: 1st round, 4th overall pick |
| 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 |
| 1976–1979 | Eastern Michigan |
| 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 NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
John Raymond Scott (born July 12, 1938) is an American former professional basketball player and coach.
Early life
John Raymond Scott was born on July 12, 1938, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended West Philadelphia High School, where he excelled in basketball.
College career
Scott attended the University of Portland from 1957 to 1958.
Professional career
Allentown Jets (1958–1961)
Scott played for the Allentown Jets of the Eastern Professional Basketball League from 1958 to 1961.
Detroit Pistons (1961–1967)
Scott was selected with the fourth pick of the 1961 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons, where he played from 1961 to 1967 and was a deadly shooter near the perimeter of the court.
Baltimore Bullets (1967–1970)
Scott played for the Baltimore Bullets from 1967 to 1970.
Virginia Squires (1970–1972)
Scott played for the Virginia Squires from 1970 to 1972.
Coaching career
Detroit Pistons (1972–1976)
Scott was promoted from assistant to head coach of the Pistons on October 28, 1972, succeeding Earl Lloyd after a 2–5 start. Under his direction, the ballclub went 38–37 for the remainder of the 1972–73 campaign. He received the NBA Coach of the Year Award and become the first black man to win NBA coach of the year after guiding the Pistons to a then-franchise-best 52–30 regular season record in 1973–74. The team slumped to 40–42 in 1974–75. He was dismissed and replaced by assistant Herb Brown with the Pistons at 17–25 on January 26, 1976.
Eastern Michigan (1976–1979)
Scott was appointed men's basketball head coach at Eastern Michigan University just over six weeks later on March 10, 1976. Over three seasons, he guided EMU to a 29–52 record. Eastern Michigan fired Scott in March 1979.
Personal life
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. In February 2008, Scott was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. 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. Ray married Jennifer Ziehm June 27, 1981. They met during his coaching of the men's basketball team at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. Together they share three daughters; Allison, Devon, and Nia. Ray also has a fourth daughter named Maria. Ray coached two of his daughters in grade school basketball for the Ann Arbor St. Paul Lutheran School Lady Crusaders. Coaching there for almost a decade, he claims that was his most satisfying experience in basketball. "Coaching my girls was one of the most fulfilling feelings [I] could ever have in life. Just coaching my girls." He still resides, happily married to Jennifer, on Michigan's East Side.
On June 14, 2022, Scott published and released his first book, a memoir. It is an autobiographical piece that reflects on racism and segregation he faced in the 1960s and 70s in regards to his career in the NBA. The book title is The NBA in Black and White: The Memoir of a Trailblazing NBA Player and Coach.