Raymond Lewis facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 3, 1952 Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Died | February 11, 2001 (aged 48) Los Angeles, California |
| High school | Verbum Dei (Los Angeles, California) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Career information | |
| College | Cal State LA (1971–1973) |
| NBA Draft | 1973 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18th overall |
| Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Raymond Lewis (born September 3, 1952 – died February 11, 2001) was an amazing American basketball player. He was known for his incredible skills on the court, especially in "streetball" games. After playing college basketball at Cal State LA, he was picked by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 1973 NBA Draft. Even though he didn't play in the NBA, he became famous as one of the best streetball players in California.
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High School Basketball Star
Raymond Lewis played high school basketball for Verbum Dei in Los Angeles. He was a key player for the Eagles team. Raymond helped his team win three championships in a row from 1969 to 1971. During his time there, the team had an amazing record of 84 wins and only 4 losses!
College Career Highlights
After his fantastic high school career, Raymond Lewis was very popular. He received about 250 scholarship offers from colleges all over the country. Some of these included big schools like UCLA, USC, and Long Beach State.
He decided to accept an offer from Cal State LA. As a freshman, he was incredibly good, scoring an average of 39 points per game. He even scored 73 points in one game against UC Santa Barbara! In his second year, he averaged 32.9 points per game, which was the second-highest in the entire nation. On February 23, 1973, he scored 53 points in a game where his team beat Long Beach State.
Professional Basketball Journey
The Philadelphia 76ers chose Raymond Lewis as the eighteenth pick in the first round of the 1973 NBA draft. People said he played incredibly well during the rookie training camp. He even seemed to play better than Doug Collins, who was the very first pick in that draft and an Olympic star.
However, Raymond and the 76ers had a disagreement about his contract. The team said he left because of this. Raymond later explained that the 76ers changed their original agreement with him. He felt it wasn't fair because many other players already had guaranteed contracts.
In his second year, Raymond tried to play for another team, the Utah Stars in the ABA league. But the 76ers stopped him by threatening to sue. In 1975, he was invited back to Philadelphia for the third year of his contract. However, he did not end up making the team.
Later Life and Passing
Raymond Lewis faced some health challenges later in his life. He passed away in February 2001 due to health issues.
See also
In Spanish: Raymond Lewis para niños
