Ray Felix
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 10, 1930 New York City, New York |
| Died | July 28, 1991 (aged 60) Queens, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Metropolitan (New York City, New York) |
| College | LIU Brooklyn (1949–1951) |
| NBA draft | 1953: 1st round, 1st overall pick |
| Selected by the Baltimore Bullets | |
| Playing career | 1953–1962 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 25, 19, 14 |
| Career history | |
| 1953–1954 | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1954–1960 | New York Knicks |
| 1960–1962 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 6,974 (10.9 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 5,652 (8.9 rpg) |
| Assists | 458 (0.7 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Raymond Darlington Felix (December 10, 1930 – July 28, 1991) was an American professional basketball player. He was born in New York City. He played high school basketball at Metropolitan High School in New York and college basketball at Long Island University.
Career
A 6' 11" center from Long Island University, Felix was selected by the Baltimore Bullets with the first pick in the 1953 NBA Draft. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 1954 after averaging 17.6 points and 13.3 rebounds. Felix was also the second African-American, following Don Barksdale, to be named an All-Star. Felix spent nine seasons in the league, and played for the Bullets, New York Knicks, Minneapolis Lakers, and Los Angeles Lakers. Felix had an incident with future hall of famer Bill Russell in Russell's rookie season, when after Russell felt Felix had been trying to intimidate him, he knocked Felix unconscious with a punch to the head.[1] Toward the end of his career, after having several of his shots blocked by Russell, Felix took the ball the flung it off the side of the backboard, saying to Russell, smiling, "You didn't get that one!"[2] Felix averaged 10.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, with career totals of 6,974 points and 5,652 rebounds. He retired in 1962.
After Basketball
Follow his retirement he worked for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation[3] where he sponsored a basketball tournament in Elmhurst, Queens[4] and later worked as a supervisor at Harlem men's shelter.[5] He died of a heart attack on July 28, 1991. He had a son, Ray Jr., with his wife Gloria.
References
- ^ Taylor, John (2006). The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. Random House. p. 77.
- ^ Hundley, Rod; McEachin, Tom (1998). Hot Rod Hundley: "You Gotta Love It, Baby". Sports Publishing LLC. p. 31.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ Ray Felix, 60, Is Dead; Knicks Center in 50's. New York Times obituaries, July 31, 1991. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
- ^ Mallozzi, Vincent (June 17, 2003). Asphalt Gods: An Oral History of the Rucker Tournament. Knopf Doubleday.
- ^ Berkow, Ira (August 1, 1991) Sports of The Times; Ray Felix Is Not Forgotten. New York Times. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
External links
(1950–1953)
 | This biographical article relating to a United States basketball player, coach, or other figure born in the 1930s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1930 births
- 1991 deaths
- African-American basketball players
- Baltimore Bullets (1944–54) draft picks
- Baltimore Bullets (1944–54) players
- Basketball players from New York (state)
- Centers (basketball)
- LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds men's basketball players
- Los Angeles Lakers players
- Minneapolis Lakers players
- National Basketball Association All-Stars
- New York Knicks players
- Sportspeople from New York City
- American basketball biography, 1930s birth stubs