James Ray (basketball)

James Ray
Personal information
Born(1957-07-27)July 27, 1957
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedDecember 26, 2023(2023-12-26) (aged 66)
Gainesville, Florida, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High schoolL. B. Landry
(New Orleans, Louisiana)
CollegeJacksonville (1976–1980)
NBA draft1980: 1st round, 5th overall pick
Selected by the Denver Nuggets
Playing career1980–1987
PositionPower forward
Number43
Career history
19801983Denver Nuggets
1983–1984Berloni Torino
1985–1986Peñas Huesca
1986–1987Fenerbahçe
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

James Earl Ray (July 27, 1957 – December 26, 2023) was an American professional basketball player. After playing college basketball for the Jacksonville Dolphins, he was selected 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.