Ray Epps (basketball)

Last updated
Ray Epps
Personal information
Born (1956-08-20) August 20, 1956 (age 67)
Amelia, Virginia, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school George Wythe
(Richmond, Virginia)
College Norfolk State (1974–1977)
NBA draft 1977: 5th round, 104th overall pick
Selected by the Golden State Warriors
Position Small forward
Number32
Career history
1978–1979 Golden State Warriors
1978–1979 Montana Sky
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at NBA.com
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at Basketball-Reference.com

Raymond Edward Epps Jr. [1] (born August 20, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player.

A 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) forward born in Amelia, Virginia, and from Norfolk State University, Epps was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the fifth round of the 1977 NBA draft. He left college early to play for the Warriors as a "hardship case." [2] In the 1977–78 NBA season, Epps did not play due to his injury. [3] In the 1978–79 NBA season, he played 13 games for the Warriors and scored 26 points. [1] In December 1978, Epps left early and was subbed with Raymond Townsend. [2] [3]

Afterward, Epps played for the Montana Sky of the Western Basketball Association in the league's first and only season. [4] His tenure began in January 1979. [5] Less than a month later, Epps was suspended indefinitely after shoving Rex Hughes, the team's coach. [6] [7] [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden State Warriors</span> National Basketball Association team in San Francisco, California

The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 in Philadelphia, the Warriors moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1962 and took the city's name, before changing its geographic moniker to Golden State in 1971. The club plays its home games at the Chase Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eduardo Nájera</span> Mexican retired professional basketball player

Eduardo Alonso Nájera Pérez is a Mexican former professional basketball player who is currently a scout for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is also a pregame and postgame analyst on Mavericks Live on Fox Sports Southwest, where he is identified as Eddie. Before being promoted to a scout with the Mavs, he was head coach of the Texas Legends of the NBA D-League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Jackson (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1970)

James Arthur Jackson is an American former professional basketball player. Over his 14 National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons, Jackson was on the active roster of 12 different teams, which was an NBA record shared with Joe Smith, Tony Massenburg, Chucky Brown, and Ish Smith; until Ish played with the Denver Nuggets, his 13th team, in the 2022–23 season. He is currently a basketball analyst for Fox Sports, Turner Sports and the Los Angeles Clippers on Bally Sports West, having previously worked for the Big Ten Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Hughes</span> American basketball player (born 1979)

Larry Darnell Hughes Sr. is an American former professional basketball player. Hughes played for eight different teams during his 14-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Hughes attended Saint Louis University before being selected with the eighth overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft. Hughes is the founder of the Larry Hughes Basketball Academy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard King</span> American basketball player (born 1956)

Bernard King is an American former professional basketball player at the small forward position in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 14 seasons with the New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, and Washington Bullets. King is a four-time NBA All-Star, four-time All-NBA selection and led the NBA in scoring in the 1984–85 season. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 8, 2013. His younger brother, Albert, also played in the NBA during his career.

Awvee Storey is a former American professional basketball player and assistant coach for the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA. He played the shooting guard/small forward position.

Raymond Anthony Townsend is an American retired professional basketball player. He played three seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Golden State Warriors and the Indiana Pacers. Townsend played college basketball with the UCLA Bruins, earning all-conference honors in the Pacific-8. He was selected by the Warriors in the first round of the 1978 NBA draft, with the 22nd overall pick, and became the first Filipino-American to play in the NBA. During his playing career, he was listed at 6'3" tall and 175 lbs. (79 kg). He played at the point guard position.

Nellie Ball is an offensive strategy in basketball developed by NBA head coach Don "Nellie" Nelson. It is a fast-paced run-and-gun offense relying on smaller, more athletic players who can create mismatches by outrunning their opponents. A true center is usually not needed to run this type of offense. A large volume of three-point attempts is also a feature of Nellie Ball. This offense is most effective against teams that do not have the athleticism or shooting ability to keep up with the fast pace.

The 1993–94 NBA season was the 26th season for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Suns signed free agents; A.C. Green, who won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s, and also signed Joe Kleine. The Suns were led by Paul Westphal, in his second year as head coach of the Suns. All home games were played at America West Arena. The team got off to a 15–3 start after a 7-game winning streak in December, and held a 31–15 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team signed free agent Elliot Perry. The Suns won their final seven games of the season, finishing second in the Pacific Division with a 56–26 record.

The 1994–95 NBA season was the Bullets' 34th season in the National Basketball Association. In the 1994 NBA draft, the Bullets selected Juwan Howard from the University of Michigan with the fifth overall pick. In the off-season, the team acquired Scott Skiles from the Orlando Magic, and hired Jim Lynam as head coach. During the first month of the regular season, the Bullets traded Tom Gugliotta to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Howard's former "Fab Five" teammate at Michigan, second-year star Chris Webber. However, after a 4–1 start to the season, the Bullets struggled losing 25 of their next 28 games, which included a ten-game losing streak, and held an 11–34 record at the All-Star break.

The 1995–96 NBA season was the Warriors' 50th season in the National Basketball Association, and 34th in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Warriors won the Draft Lottery, and selected Joe Smith from the University of Maryland with the first overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft. During the off-season, the team acquired B. J. Armstrong from the expansion Toronto Raptors, and signed free agents Jerome Kersey, and Jon Barry. With Armstrong and Kersey both in the lineup at point guard and small forward respectively, Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin both played off the bench for most of the season. At midseason, Hardaway was traded along with Chris Gatling to the Miami Heat in exchange for Kevin Willis and Bimbo Coles.

The 1997–98 NBA season was the Warriors' 52nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 36th in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Warriors received the eighth overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft, and selected Adonal Foyle out of Colgate University. The Warriors also moved into their new arena, known as The Arena in Oakland. During the off-season, the team acquired second-year center Erick Dampier from the Indiana Pacers, and Brian Shaw from the Orlando Magic. Early into the season, they traded B. J. Armstrong to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Muggsy Bogues and second-year guard Tony Delk. However, under new head coach P.J. Carlesimo, the Warriors struggled losing their first nine games, which led to an awful 1–14 start. Things would get even worse in December as All-Star guard Latrell Sprewell choked, and assaulted Carlesimo during practice, and was suspended for the remainder of the season, which was 68 games left in the Warriors' schedule. Sprewell averaged 21.4 points, 4.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game in only just 14 games.

The 1999–2000 NBA season was the Warriors' 54th season in the National Basketball Association, and 38th in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city of Oakland hosted the 2000 NBA All-Star Game. During the off-season, the Warriors acquired Mookie Blaylock from the Atlanta Hawks, and rookie guard Vonteego Cummings from the Indiana Pacers. The Warriors struggled losing 16 of their first 18 games as head coach P. J. Carlesimo was fired after a 6–21 start, and was replaced with General Manager Garry St. Jean, where the team suffered a 12-game losing streak between December and January. Second-year star Antawn Jamison, Chris Mills, Erick Dampier and Terry Cummings all missed large parts of the season due to injuries. At midseason, the Warriors traded John Starks to the Chicago Bulls, and acquired second-year guard Larry Hughes, and former Warriors forward Billy Owens from the Philadelphia 76ers in a three-team trade. The Warriors lost 23 of their final 26 games, and finished sixth in the Pacific Division with a 19–63 record.

The 1993–94 NBA season was the Warriors' 48th season in the National Basketball Association, and their 31st in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the 1993 NBA draft, the Warriors selected Penny Hardaway from the University of Memphis with the third overall pick, but soon traded him to the Orlando Magic in exchange for top draft pick Chris Webber from the University of Michigan. During the off-season, the team signed free agent Avery Johnson. Without All-Star guard Tim Hardaway and sixth man Šarūnas Marčiulionis, who both missed the entire season with knee injuries, and with Chris Mullin missing the first 20 games with a finger injury, the Warriors struggled losing three of their first four games, but soon recovered later holding a 27–20 record at the All-Star break. The team improved over the previous season as they posted an 8-game winning streak in April, finishing third in the Pacific Division with a solid 50–32 record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dillon Brooks</span> Canadian basketball player (born 1996)

Dillon Brooks is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks, where he was named a consensus second-team All-American and earned conference player of the year honors in the Pac-12 in 2017. Brooks was selected in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft. He began his career with the Memphis Grizzlies, earning NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justinian Jessup</span> American basketball player

Justinian Jessup is an American professional basketball player for the New Zealand Breakers of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Boise State Broncos and was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 51st overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

The 2019–20 Utah Jazz season was the 46th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the 41st season of the franchise in Salt Lake City. It was announced that longtime Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley was traded to the Jazz after spending his first 12 seasons in the league with the Grizzlies. During the offseason Dennis Lindsey was promoted from General Manager to Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, while Assistant Justin Zanik was promoted to General Manager.

The 2019–20 Golden State Warriors season was the 74th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 58th in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Warriors entered the season as the five-time defending Western Conference champion and runners-up in the 2019 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Toronto Raptors in six games. The Warriors moved from the Oracle Arena in Oakland to the new Chase Center in San Francisco before the start of the season, the first time the team had played in the city since the 1970–71 season.

The 2020–21 Golden State Warriors season was the 75th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), its 59th in the San Francisco Bay Area, and their second season playing home games at Chase Center. They were coached by Steve Kerr, in his seventh year as head coach.

The NBA Comeback Player of the Year Award was an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award presented to a player who recovered from a subpar season after achieving success in the past. It was awarded from 1981 though 1986. Along with several other awards, it was created to increase interest in the league, whose championship series in 1980 was televised live in the markets of the participants, the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers, but shown on tape delay in the rest of the United States, typically after the late-night news. The Comeback Player of the Year was selected from a panel of 78 media members, three from each NBA city and another nine national media members. Three of the six winners were returning from drug or alcohol dependency issues: inaugural winner Bernard King in 1980–81 and the final two winners, Micheal Ray Richardson (1984–85) and Marques Johnson (1985–86). Two winners missed time the season prior due to a holdout: Gus Williams (1981–82) and Paul Westphal (1982–83). Westphal was also coming back from an injury, as was 1983–84 winner Adrian Dantley.

References

  1. 1 2 "Ray Epps Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved September 1, 2007. says "Raymond Edward Epps Jr."
  2. 1 2 Wiley, Ralph (April 6, 1980). "Real Hardships". Oakland Tribune. p. 23. Retrieved August 31, 2022. You don't hear of Ray Epps, do you? Epps left college early to join the Golden State Warriors. He was a good player, but not quite good enough. He should have had a back-up system, a marketable skill. His miss was certainly a mile.
  3. 1 2 "Restani, friends try Warriors". The San Francisco Examiner . December 6, 1978. p. 56. Retrieved September 1, 2022. As anticipated, forward Ray Epps was lopped from the roster and put on waivers yesterday so the Warriors could reactive rookie guard Raymond Townsend, who has been out with an ankle injury. Epps, a rookie out of Norfolk State, was "redshirted" on the injury list all last season. He had appeared in only 13 games, averaging only five minutes in them.
  4. Salter, Stephanie (January 17, 1979). "Cazzie: The Sky's The Limit". The San Francisco Examiner. p. 49. Retrieved August 31, 2022. Ray Epps, recently from the Warriors
  5. Anderson, Dave (January 9, 1979). "Sky continues lineup shuffle". Great Falls Tribune. p. 11. Retrieved August 31, 2022. The newest member of the Sky is Ray Epps, a 6-6 forward from Norfolk (Va.) State. Epps played last season in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors. To make room for Epps on the roster, the Sky released guard Walter Johnson and returned guard Rocky Smith to the Fresno Stars.
  6. Kirkpatrick, Curry (February 12, 1979). "Taking a Gamble on the Future". Sports Illustrated Vault. Retrieved September 1, 2022. Last week, during a game against Utah, Hughes heard some unmerciful razzing. When he peered down the bench he discovered it had come from one of his own players, Ray Epps. As the team walked off at halftime, Hughes inquired of Epps what the story was, and the two proceeded to push and jostle one another. Before or after Epps could get off a punch—eyewitness reports were shaky at best—Hughes suspended him on the spot.
  7. Smith, Phil (February 4, 1979). "Troubled L.V. faces Sky here". Great Falls Tribune. p. 22. Retrieved August 31, 2022. Forward Ray Epps has been suspended indefinitely by Hughes for undisclosed reasons.
  8. Greenberg, Alan (March 13, 1979). "It's the Place to Nurse a Dream". The Los Angeles Times. p. 37. Retrieved September 1, 2022. Others, like Montana's Ray Epps, shove their coach.