Travis Mays facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Travis Mays

Personal information
Born	(1968-06-19) June 19, 1968 (age 57) Ocala, Florida, U.S.
High school	Vanguard (Ocala, Florida)
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
College	Texas (1986–1990)
NBA Draft	1990 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14th overall
Selected by the Sacramento Kings
Pro career	1990–2002
Coaching career	2002–present
Career history
As player:
1990–1991	Sacramento Kings
1991–1993	Atlanta Hawks
1993	Rochester Renegade
1994–1995	Panionios
1995–1996	Ironi Ramat Gan
1996–1997	Tuborg Pilsener
1998–1999	Mabo Pistoia
1999–2002	Mens Sana 1871 Basket
As coach:
2002–2003	San Antonio Silver Stars (assistant)
2004–2007	Texas (assistant)
2007–2011	LSU (assistant)
2011–2012	Georgia (assistant)
2012–2016	Texas (associate HC)
2016–2021	SMU
Career highlights and awards
As player: NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1991) Greek League All-Star (1994 II) Greek All-Star Game 3-Point Shootout Champion (1994 II) 2× SWC Player of the Year (1989, 1990) 3× First-team All-SWC (1988–1990)
Career NBA statistics
Points	1,273 (11.1 ppg)
Rebounds	233 (2.0 rpg)
Assists	326 (2.8 apg)
Medals Men's Basketball Representing  United States Summer Universiade Gold 1989 Duisburg National team

Travis Cortez Mays, born on June 19, 1968, is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He was the head coach for the women's basketball team at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 2016 to 2021. Before becoming a coach, Mays was chosen by the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the 1990 NBA draft. He played college basketball for the Longhorns at the University of Texas. After his time in the NBA, Mays played professional basketball in different leagues across Europe.

Playing Basketball in College

Travis Mays went to Vanguard High School in Ocala, Florida, where he was a top basketball player. After high school, he played college basketball for the University of Texas.

During the 1989–90 basketball season, Mays and his teammates Lance Blanks and Joey Wright were known as the "BMW – The Ultimate Scoring Machine." This team was very good at scoring points. They made it to the Elite Eight in the 1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The Elite Eight is when only eight teams are left in the college basketball championship.

Mays is one of the best scorers in the history of UT men's basketball. He ranks second in total points for the Longhorns, with 2,279 points. He was also the first player to win the SWC Player of the Year award two years in a row. Mays scored double-digit points in 100 out of 124 games he played in college. He was the only UT men's player to score more than 700 points in a single season for a long time. He scored 743 points as a junior and 772 points as a senior. In 2002, he was honored by being added to the UT Men's Athletics Hall of Honor.

Playing Basketball Professionally

Travis Mays was picked by the Sacramento Kings as the 14th player in the 1990 NBA draft. In his first year with the Kings, he played very well. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, which means he was one of the best new players in the league. He averaged 14.3 points per game in 64 games that season.

After his time with the Kings, he played for the Atlanta Hawks. Early in his second season with the Hawks, he had a serious injury to his right ankle. This injury kept him from playing for the rest of that season. He returned to play for one more season in the NBA. Overall, Mays averaged 11.1 points per game during his NBA career.

Mays also played professional basketball in other countries. He played in Greece, Israel, Turkey, and Italy. In 1994, he joined the Greek team Panionios BC. He was chosen for the European All-Star Game and helped Panionios reach the European Championship final eight. He was also a First Team All-Star in Italy while playing for Siena from 1999 to 2001. He stopped playing basketball professionally in 2002.

Coaching Career

After his playing career, Travis Mays became a coach. From 2002 to 2004, he was an assistant coach for the WNBA team, the San Antonio Silver Stars. He also coached a boys' basketball team in the AAU during the summer of 2003.

From 2004 to 2007, he went back to his old college, the University of Texas. He was an assistant coach for the Texas Longhorns women's basketball team under coach Jody Conradt. His main job was to help the guards on the team and to find new players. He helped bring in talented players like Erika Arriaran and Brittainey Raven.

After Coach Conradt retired, Mays became an assistant coach for the Louisiana State University women's team from 2007 to 2011. Then, he spent one year as an assistant coach for the University of Georgia women's basketball team. From 2012 to 2016, he returned to the University of Texas again, this time as the associate head coach.

In 2016, Travis Mays became the head coach for the women's basketball team at SMU. He coached there for five seasons until March 8, 2021.

Head Coaching Record

Achievements and Awards

As a Player

• Southwest Conference Player of the Year (1989, 1990)
• Three-year All-Southwest Conference (1987–1990)
• UT Men's Athletics Hall of Honor (2002)
• European All-Star (1994, 1995)
• First Team All-Star (Italy) 1999–2001

Personal Life

Travis Mays earned a degree in psychology from the University of Texas in 1990. He also gained Italian citizenship because his wife, Mirella, has Italian family.

See also

In Spanish: Travis Mays para niños