Raymond Felton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Raymond Felton

Felton with the New York Knicks in October 2010
Personal information
Born	(1984-06-26) June 26, 1984 (age 41) 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
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2006) NCAA champion (2005) Bob Cousy Award (2005) Third-team All-American – AP (2005) First-team All-ACC (2005) 2× Third-team All-ACC (2003, 2004) All-ACC Freshman Team (2003) No. 2 honored by North Carolina Tar Heels Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2002) First-team Parade All-American (2002) Third-team Parade All-American (2001) McDonald's All-American (2002) South Carolina Mr. Basketball (2002)

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 University of North Carolina. His coach there was Roy Williams.

At North Carolina, Felton helped lead the Tar Heels to a national championship. After college, he entered the NBA draft. Felton was chosen fifth overall in the 2005 NBA draft. During his career, Felton played for several teams. These included the Charlotte Bobcats, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, and Oklahoma City Thunder. He mostly played as a point guard.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Raymond Felton started his basketball journey at Latta High School. This school is located in Latta, South Carolina. He led his high school team to win two state championships. His team's record during his time there 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 received it in both his junior and senior years. In 2002, he was named Naismith Prep Player of the Year. He was also the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2002 Roundball Classic. This event took place at the United Center in Chicago. Felton was also chosen for the 2002 McDonald's All-American Game. This game was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this game, Felton played with future New York Knicks teammates, Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire. Experts considered Felton a top player in his high school class. He was ranked as the number one point guard in 2002.

College Basketball Career at North Carolina

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. During his second year, he was a finalist for two major awards. These were the Bob Cousy Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year Award. He had 213 assists and led his team in steals with 63. He also led in free throw percentage, making 81% of his shots. He averaged 11.5 points per game that year. A special moment in his second year was setting a school record. He made 18 assists in one game against George Mason. This happened on December 7, 2003.

In his third and final season, Felton led the Tar Heels to victory. Along with teammates Rashad McCants, Sean May, and Marvin Williams, they won the 2005 national championship. They defeated the University of Illinois Fighting Illini. The championship game was on April 4, 2005, in St. Louis. This was the fifth basketball championship in UNC's history. Felton made a crucial three-pointer over Deron Williams. This shot broke a 65–65 tie late in the game. He then made a vital steal in the final seconds. This stopped Illinois from tying or taking the lead. His two free throws after the steal sealed the win.

Felton averaged 12.9 points and 6.9 assists per game in his junior season. His shooting skills also improved greatly. For his excellent play, he was voted to the All-ACC First Team that season. Felton also won the Bob Cousy Award. This award honors the best college point guard. After his junior year, EA Sports featured Felton on the cover of their video game, NCAA March Madness 06.

Professional Basketball Career

Charlotte Bobcats (2005–2010)

Felton in December 2009, playing defense for the Charlotte Bobcats

The Charlotte Bobcats selected Felton as the 5th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. Other point guards like Chris Paul and Deron Williams were drafted before him. His college teammates Marvin Williams, Rashad McCants, and Sean May were also chosen in the same draft. Felton quickly showed his talent in the NBA. He had a great game where he scored 31 points against the Phoenix Suns. His best all-around game as a rookie was on January 28, 2006. He scored 18 points and had 13 assists against the Washington Wizards. Felton started in 54 of 82 games for the Bobcats. He averaged 11.9 points, 5.6 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game. In his first year, Felton had 13 games where he scored double-digits in two different stats. He was also chosen for the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

In his second year, Felton became the Bobcats' main point guard. He improved in almost every area. His assists per game went up from 5.6 to 7.0. This was helped by better play from teammates like Gerald Wallace and Emeka Okafor. Even with Felton's strong season, the Bobcats did not make the playoffs.

For his third year, the Bobcats brought in Jason Richardson to add more scoring. The 2007–08 season was still a rebuilding time for the team. Some players struggled, and the team had many injuries. The Bobcats missed the playoffs again. Felton continued to improve his stats. He averaged 14.4 points, 7.4 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game. He also became a more efficient shooter. His shooting percentage went from 38% to 41%. However, he still had trouble shooting from long range.

The Bobcats drafted D. J. Augustin in 2008, adding more competition at point guard. They also hired coach Larry Brown. Felton's scoring and assists went down that year. The Bobcats traded Richardson and started rebuilding again. The team still missed the playoffs.

In 2009, Felton was a free agent but decided to stay with Charlotte. He signed a contract to return for one more season. The 2009 season was the most successful for the Bobcats as a team. However, Felton's personal stats for assists and scoring were lower. But he improved his overall shooting to a career-high 46%. He also shot better from the three-point line, making 38.5% of his shots. In March, Michael Jordan became the main owner of the Bobcats. The team added Stephen Jackson and Tyson Chandler through trades. They also got Tyrus Thomas and Larry Hughes later in the season. The Bobcats made the playoffs for the first time ever. In the playoffs, Felton averaged 11.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. The Bobcats were eliminated quickly, and Felton became a free agent again.

New York Knicks (2010–2011)

Felton playing for the Knicks in December 2010

On July 9, 2010, Felton agreed to join the New York Knicks. Two days later, the deal was made official. He signed a two-year contract. Felton was chosen as a co-captain for the 2011 season. His co-captain was fellow new teammate Amar'e Stoudemire. Early in the season, Felton had some trouble working with Stoudemire. But after a few games, Felton gained confidence. He quickly became a favorite among New York fans. Felton made many important shots. One memorable shot was a step-back three-pointer that bounced into the net against the Toronto Raptors. Moving to New York seemed to help Felton's game. His play also helped the Knicks compete for a playoff spot. This was the first time since 2004. However, Felton's time in New York would not last long.

Denver Nuggets (2011)

On February 22, 2011, Felton was traded to the Denver Nuggets. This was part of a big trade that also involved the Minnesota Timberwolves. The trade brought Carmelo Anthony to New York. Felton moved to the Denver Nuggets with teammates Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, and Timofey Mozgov. With the Knicks, Felton was having his best season ever. He even received many All-Star votes from fans. Felton averaged 17.1 points, 9.0 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game. He played about 38.4 minutes per game. In Denver, Felton mostly played as a backup. He played behind fellow University of North Carolina guard Ty Lawson. Felton and the Nuggets made it to the playoffs. There, they faced Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Felton averaged 11.6 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in the playoffs. Overall, the 2010–11 season was Felton's best. He averaged 15.5 points and 8.6 assists per game.

Felton was not happy playing as a backup. On June 23, 2011, during the 2011 NBA draft, Felton was traded again. He went to the Portland Trail Blazers. In return, the Nuggets received veteran point guard Andre Miller and a draft pick. The Trail Blazers also traded Rudy Fernández in the deal.

Portland Trail Blazers (2011–2012)

In his first regular season game with the Blazers, Felton played well. He finished with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and a steal. The Blazers won 107–103 against the Philadelphia 76ers. However, Felton and the Blazers struggled throughout the season. Felton did not get along with head coach Nate McMillan. McMillan was eventually replaced by Kaleb Canales, who became the youngest head coach in NBA history. McMillan even benched Felton at one point. The Blazers finished the season with a losing record. For Felton, it was one of his toughest seasons. He averaged a career low of 11.4 points. His shooting percentages were also lower than usual.

Return to New York (2012–2014)

Felton playing for the Knicks in March 2013

On July 16, 2012, Felton was traded back to the New York Knicks. This trade also involved Kurt Thomas. Felton signed a new contract with the Knicks for three years. When he returned, some people criticized Felton for his physical shape. Felton admitted he was not in shape. He said, "I won’t make any excuses, I wasn't in shape." At a summer league game, Felton mentioned he had lost over 20 pounds. He also felt he was a better player than Jeremy Lin, who had left the Knicks.

On November 2, 2012, the Knicks started their season. Felton scored 14 points and had 9 assists in a win. They beat the defending champion Miami Heat. On November 15, 2012, Felton led the Knicks to a road victory. They beat the San Antonio Spurs 104–100. He helped his team come back from a 12-point deficit. He scored 25 points and had 7 assists in that game. On December 6, 2012, Felton scored a season-high 27 points. This was in a road win against the Heat. The Knicks won without Carmelo Anthony. In mid-December, Felton hurt his hand. He tried to play through it for a few games. After seeing a specialist, he learned he would not need surgery. However, he would miss 4–6 weeks. He returned to play on January 26, 2013.

Dallas Mavericks (2014–2016)

On June 25, 2014, Felton was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He was traded along with Tyson Chandler. Felton missed the first 31 games of the 2014–15 season. He had an ankle injury during the preseason. Felton made his debut for the Mavericks on December 28. This was against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He played for just over a minute in the win.

On June 22, 2015, Felton decided to stay with the Mavericks for the 2015–16 season. On December 12, 2015, he achieved a special milestone. He recorded 10 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds. This was a "triple-double." It was the first triple-double by a Mavericks player since Jason Kidd in March 2011.

Los Angeles Clippers (2016–2017)

On July 25, 2016, Felton signed a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2017–2019)

On July 10, 2017, Felton signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He re-signed with the Thunder on July 12, 2018. Felton became a free agent on July 1, 2019. This meant he could sign with any team he wanted.

NBA Career Statistics

Raymond Felton played many games in the NBA. Here are some of his career statistics.

Regular Season Stats

Playoff Stats

Awards and Honors

Raymond Felton received many awards during his basketball career:

• 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. He briefly played for UNC during the 2017–18 season. In July 2018, Jalek signed to play for a Slovenian club team called Petrol Olimpija.

Images for kids

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  Felton playing for the Knicks in March 2013

See also

In Spanish: Raymond Felton para niños