Ray Spalding facts for kids
Spalding being defended by Virginia Tech
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| No. 21 – Hapoel Be'er Sheva | |
|---|---|
| Power forward | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 11, 1997 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| High school | Trinity (Louisville, Kentucky) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Louisville (2015–2018) |
| NBA Draft | 2018 / Round: 2 / Pick: 56th overall |
| Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers | |
| Pro career | 2018–present |
| League | Israeli Basketball Premier League |
| Career history | |
| 2018–2019 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2018–2019 | →Texas Legends |
| 2019 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2019–2020 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| 2020 | Charlotte Hornets |
| 2020 | →Greensboro Swarm |
| 2021 | Houston Rockets |
| 2021 | →Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| 2022–2024 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| 2024 | Osos de Manatí |
| 2024–present | Hapoel Be'er Sheva |
Raymond Mark Spalding (born March 11, 1997) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. Ray played college basketball for the Louisville team. He was chosen by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Contents
High School Basketball Journey
Ray Spalding is the son of Raymond Brooks and Gerri Spalding. He grew up playing many sports like lacrosse, soccer, and basketball. Ray went to Trinity High School in Louisville, Kentucky. His coach there was Mike Szabo.
Ray started getting attention from colleges after a great game. He scored 34 points in an AAU tournament. This happened the summer before his final year of high school. He decided to play for the Louisville Cardinals. He wanted to become a well-known player in his hometown.
College Career Highlights
When Ray first joined Louisville, his coach, Rick Pitino, was very excited about him. The coach believed Ray had a lot of potential. For his first two years at Louisville, Ray usually came off the bench. As a sophomore, he averaged about 5.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
After that season, Ray saw how hard his teammate Donovan Mitchell worked. Donovan became an NBA player, and Ray wanted to do the same. In December 2017, Ray had a fantastic game against Grand Canyon. He grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds and scored 21 points. On January 16, 2018, he scored a career-high 23 points. He also had 12 rebounds in a double-overtime win against Notre Dame.
As a junior, Ray became a starter for the team. He averaged 12.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. Ray helped his team finish the season with 22 wins and 14 losses. They also reached the quarterfinals of the NIT tournament. After this successful season, Ray decided to enter the 2018 NBA draft. He hired an agent, which meant he would not play his final year at Louisville.
Professional Basketball Path
Starting with the Dallas Mavericks
On June 21, 2018, the Philadelphia 76ers picked Ray Spalding. He was the 56th player chosen in the 2018 NBA draft. Soon after, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He signed his first professional contract on July 20, 2018.
Ray played his first NBA game on October 17, 2018. He played for one minute in a game against the Phoenix Suns. This was his only game with the Dallas Mavericks. For most of his time with the Mavericks, he played for their G League team, the Texas Legends. On January 31, 2019, Ray left the Mavericks team.
Time with the Phoenix Suns
On February 20, 2019, Ray signed a short contract with the Phoenix Suns. He later signed a two-year contract with them on March 3. Ray got his first rebound in an NBA game on March 9. He played for only 3 minutes in that game.
A week later, Ray had one of his best games with the Suns. He scored 8 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and had 2 blocks and 2 assists. This was in a close overtime win against the New Orleans Pelicans. On April 5, Ray started his first NBA game. He had an amazing performance with 21 points and 13 rebounds. This helped his team win another overtime game against the Pelicans.
Playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers
On July 31, 2019, Ray signed a contract with the Atlanta Hawks. He was later released by the Hawks on October 8, 2019. He then signed with the Houston Rockets on October 10, 2019. The Rockets also released him a few days later.
After being released, Ray joined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. This team is part of the G League and is connected to the Rockets.
Joining the Greensboro Swarm
On January 15, 2020, the Charlotte Hornets signed Ray Spalding to a special contract. This contract allowed him to play for both the Hornets and their G League team. He scored 15 points in his first game for the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets' G League team. Ray did not play any games for the Charlotte Hornets. He was released by the Hornets on November 29, 2020.
Brief Return to the Houston Rockets
On February 12, 2021, the Houston Rockets signed Ray Spalding again. He played two games with the team. However, he was released just four days later, on February 16.
Back with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers
On November 3, 2022, Ray Spalding rejoined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He played with them for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons.
Playing in Puerto Rico
On April 16, 2024, Ray signed with the Osos de Manatí team. This team plays in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league in Puerto Rico.
Current Team: Hapoel Be'er Sheva
Since 2024, Ray Spalding has been playing for Hapoel Be'er Sheva. This team is part of the Israeli Basketball Premier League.
See also
In Spanish: Ray Spalding para niños
