Raymond Felton facts for kids
Felton with the New York Knicks in 2010
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 26, 1984 Marion, South Carolina, U.S. |
| High school | Latta (Latta, South Carolina) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | North Carolina (2002–2005) |
| NBA Draft | 2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall |
| Selected by the Charlotte Bobcats | |
| Pro career | 2005–2019 |
| Career history | |
| 2005–2010 | Charlotte Bobcats |
| 2010–2011 | New York Knicks |
| 2011 | Denver Nuggets |
| 2011–2012 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2012–2014 | New York Knicks |
| 2014–2016 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2016–2017 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2017–2019 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Raymond Bernard Felton Jr. (born June 26, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. He played for 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Felton played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. His coach there was Roy Williams.
At North Carolina, Felton helped the Tar Heels win a national championship. After college, he was picked fifth overall in the 2005 NBA draft. During his NBA career, Felton played for many teams. These included the Charlotte Bobcats, New York Knicks (twice), Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, and Oklahoma City Thunder. He mostly played as a point guard.
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Early Life and High School Basketball
Felton started his basketball journey at Latta High School in Latta, South Carolina. He led his high school team to win two state championships. His team's record was an amazing 104 wins and only 9 losses. Felton also set state scoring records. He scored 2,992 points and made 117 three-pointers.
Felton won the South Carolina Mr. Basketball award twice. He earned it in both his junior and senior years. In 2002, he was named Naismith Prep Player of the Year. He was also the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the 2002 Roundball Classic in Chicago. Felton was chosen for the 2002 McDonald's All-American Game in New York City. In that game, he played with future New York Knicks teammates Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire. Experts considered Felton a top player. He was ranked as the number one point guard in his high school class in 2002.
College Basketball Career
In his first year at North Carolina, Felton was named Carolina Player of the Year. He also won the ACC Freshman of the Week award three times. He made 236 assists and scored an average of 12.0 points per game. In his second year, he was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award. This award goes to the best college point guard. He also led the Tar Heels in steals and free throw percentage. Felton set a school record with 18 assists in one game against George Mason.
In his third and final season, Felton led the Tar Heels to a national championship. This happened in the 2005 national championship game. They beat the University of Illinois Fighting Illini. This was North Carolina's fourth men's basketball championship. Felton made a key three-pointer late in the game. He also made a crucial steal in the final seconds. His two free throws after the steal sealed the win.
Felton averaged 12.9 points and 6.9 assists per game that season. He also greatly improved his shooting. For his great play, he was voted to the All-ACC First Team. He also won the Bob Cousy Award. After his junior year, Felton was featured on the cover of the video game NCAA March Madness 06.
Professional Basketball Career
Charlotte Bobcats (2005–2010)
The Charlotte Bobcats picked Felton 5th overall in the 2005 NBA draft. He was drafted after other great point guards like Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Felton showed his talent right away. He scored 31 points in a game against the Phoenix Suns. His best game as a rookie was when he had 18 points and 13 assists against the Washington Wizards. Felton started 54 games and averaged 11.9 points and 5.6 assists per game. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
In his second year, Felton became the Bobcats' main point guard. He improved his assists to 7.0 per game. Even with Felton's good play, the Bobcats did not make the playoffs. In his third year, the Bobcats added Jason Richardson to the team. Felton continued to improve, averaging 14.4 points and 7.4 assists. However, the team still missed the playoffs.
The Bobcats drafted D. J. Augustin in 2008. They also hired coach Larry Brown. Felton's numbers went down a bit. The Bobcats traded Richardson and started to rebuild their team. They still had not made the playoffs since joining the league in 2004.
In 2009, Felton signed a new contract to stay with Charlotte. The 2009-2010 season was the Bobcats' most successful year. They made the playoffs for the first time in team history. Felton's shooting improved a lot, especially from three-point range. In the playoffs, the Bobcats were swept, meaning they lost all their games. After this season, Felton became a free agent.
New York Knicks (2010–2011)
On July 9, 2010, Felton signed a contract with the New York Knicks. He was named a co-captain for the 2011 season. Felton quickly became a fan favorite in New York City. He made many important shots for the team. His play helped the Knicks compete for a playoff spot. Felton was having his best season yet. He was even getting votes from fans to be an All-Star.
Denver Nuggets (2011)
On February 22, 2011, Felton was traded to the Denver Nuggets. This trade also involved the Minnesota Timberwolves. It brought Carmelo Anthony to New York. Felton joined teammates Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, and Timofey Mozgov in Denver. With the Knicks, Felton was averaging 17.1 points and 9.0 assists per game. In Denver, Felton mostly played off the bench. The Nuggets made it to the playoffs. They played against Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Felton averaged 11.6 points and 6.5 assists in the playoffs. Overall, the 2010-2011 season was Felton's best.
Felton was not happy playing off the bench. On June 23, 2011, he was traded again. He went to the Portland Trail Blazers. In return, the Nuggets received Andre Miller and a draft pick.
Portland Trail Blazers (2011–2012)
In his first game with the Blazers, Felton had 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists. However, Felton and the Blazers struggled that season. Felton did not get along with head coach Nate McMillan. McMillan was later fired. The Blazers finished the season in eleventh place in their conference. This was one of Felton's toughest seasons. He averaged a career low 11.4 points per game.
Return to New York (2012–2014)
On July 16, 2012, Felton was traded back to the New York Knicks. He signed a three-year contract with the team. Felton admitted he was not in good shape when he was with Portland. He worked hard and lost over 20 pounds.
On November 2, 2012, Felton started the season strong. He had 14 points and 9 assists in a win against the defending champion Miami Heat. On November 15, he led the Knicks to a road victory over the San Antonio Spurs. He scored 25 points and had 7 assists. On December 6, Felton scored a season-high 27 points against the Heat. The Knicks won that game without Carmelo Anthony. Felton later had a hand injury. He played through it for a while. He returned to play on January 26, 2013.
Felton was suspended for the first four games of the 2014–15 season.
Dallas Mavericks (2014–2016)
On June 25, 2014, Felton was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He joined Tyson Chandler in the trade. Felton missed the first 31 games of the 2014-2015 season. He had an ankle injury during preseason. He made his debut for the Mavericks on December 28.
On June 22, 2015, Felton decided to stay with the Mavericks for another season. On December 12, 2015, he achieved a triple-double. He had 10 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds. This was the first triple-double for a Maverick since Jason Kidd in 2011.
Los Angeles Clippers (2016–2017)
On July 25, 2016, Felton signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. He played one season with the team.
Oklahoma City Thunder (2017–2019)
On July 10, 2017, Felton signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He re-signed with them on July 12, 2018. Felton became a free agent on July 1, 2019. He retired from professional basketball after the 2018-2019 season.
Awards and Honors
- All-NBA Rookie Second Team: 2005–06
- His No. 2 jersey is honored at the Dean Dome at UNC.
- NCAA All-Tournament Team: 2005
- Associated Press Men's Basketball Third Team: 2004–05
- Voted Carolina's Most Valuable Player: 2002–03, 2004–05 (Shared with Sean May)
- Winner of Bob Cousy Award: 2005
- First Team All-ACC: 2004–05
- Third Team All-ACC: 2002–03, 2003–04
- First Team All-ACC Tournament: 2003
- ACC All-Defensive Team Honorable Mention: 2004–05
- ACC All-Freshmen Team: 2002–03
- Naismith Prep Player of the Year: 2002
Personal Life
Raymond Felton's nephew, Jalek Felton, also played basketball for UNC. He played during the 2017–18 season. In July 2018, Jalek signed to play for a Slovenian club called Petrol Olimpija.
See also
In Spanish: Raymond Felton para niños
