BIO
Born January 26th, 1980, to Jimmy Ray Sr. and Cynthia Ray – to be a basketball player was in my DNA. My father Jimmy Sr. coached my older brother Jimmy Ray Jr.´s Junior League basketball team. I was only 7 years old and every Saturday I watched my dad coach my brother´s team. So after a few Saturdays of watching the games we were riding home leaving the game and I said to my dad “ Dad, I want to play basketball” in those exact words. He turned around and said to me “Are you sure, son? You know just because I played and coach and your brother plays this doesn´t mean you have to” I responded “Yes, I know and I want to play.” The following Saturday I was registered and ready to play. I don´t remember how I felt or much about that morning except not missing one single shot in my first game ever. I even accidentally shot the ball in the wrong basket – yes, in the other teams basket – and of course it went in. As I looked around everyone laughed, fans, players as well, that´s how I remember it. But my dad brought me to the sideline and gave me a Hi-five and told me not to worry about anything because you are going to be a pro one day.
Over the next 10 years I went on to win championships on every level that I played on. From Little League at age 8 to Middle School (intermediate school). Martin Middle School was the name where we became the first team in school history to go undefeated the entire season. I think that record still stands. After middle school, short lived but with monumental achievements I went on to the next chapter in my life – High School.
Heading into the 9th grade at age 14 I was ranked as one of the top five players in the state of North Carolina. My name was even published in a USA High School Prep Magazine where they rated basketball players around the United States. Becoming a Professional Basketball Player wasn´t even a thought of mine at that time. My only thought was making the Varsity Basketball team.
I met one of the most influential people of my career – my high school Varsity basketball coach, Lawrence Dunn. As a four year Starter on the Varsity team I accumulated 3 conference championships, 2 sectional Championships, 1 regional Championship and in my senior year I came 1 game short of a State Championship and my high school days were completed with being rated as one of the 50 best High School players in the US. I was ready to move on to the next chapter of my life … College !
North Carolina Central (NCCU) Coach Phil Spence. Who had a huge influence on me as a basketball player as well as becoming a man and dealing and handling life, basketball, school and being a role model for those who looked up to me. Which are all the lessons for those different aspects of my life came down to the words Discipline, Dedication and Hardwork. He coached us and I played us to a Conference Championship but in those 3 years we spent together my life lessons were the highlights of my Success and accomplishments. Thanks Coach Spence for those talks, advice and personal challenges you gave me from Man to Young Man at the time. They and you will always be a staple in my career as well as development as a person. Little did I know that those lessons were preparing me for the transition from Student to a professional Athlete – the next chapter in my life.
NCCU at that time was a division II School. I knew I was good enough to be a pro but I also understood how big of a role politics play in the professional transition from college to the professional level. Scouts wouldn´t think I was as good as a division I player from my school like UNC or Duke. But I was as good as they were as well as many other division II players. The thing is we would have to work harder and perform not at the same level as a division I player but two levels higher to be even noticed on the same or equal playing field or player rating. That´s just a fact ! So that mentality always drove me and still does at this stage of my career. And I´m a 35 year old proven veteran but I still carry that chip on my shoulder – they didn´t think I was good enough because I played at a division II college. This is the first time I´ve ever said this out loud or really told anyone the driving force behind my motivation. So there you go world.
It was the summer of 2003 when an Austrian Agent (Reinhard Eibel) saw me play at a free agent camp in the USA in Washington DC. He talked to my agent during this camp and told him that he would have a team in Austria which is looking for a player like me. I wanted to go to Europe – I had worked out with Seattle Super Sonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder) but the situation didn´t work out there. I was always aware and open to the idea of playing professionally in Europe so when this opportunity came about – I took it. At this point it was already September and I was ready to get signed and get started. I really didn´t have time to prepare and pack for my journey to another continent. Once I agreed and signed I had only 4 days to get my passport get packed and ready to go. Not for a few days or a few weeks I´m moving to another country for 8 months…
I wasn´t even sure what I needed to pack. Cause it´s not like they told me what to bring. My brother and my dad took me to the airport and I arrived there with 6 bags. So of course I was not allowed to take them all which I wasn´t aware of. At that time I was allowed to check in 2 bags and take 2 carry on bags with me. My brother, my dad and I we had 10 to 15 minutes to repack and consolidate the most important things we thought I would need. I paid for one extra bag I had my book bag and a bag that held my Basketball. I´m smiling about that now but at that time it was just weird for me not to take my ball with me especially if I´m going to play Basketball over there. Now that I think about it, of course I wouldn´t need a Basketball over there because obviously they had plenty, but at the same time I didn´t know what to expect I think it was the only from home that I could bring with me that gave me a sense of comfort being that far from home for the first time in my life.
I remember walking away from my dad and my brother going in the direction of my gate I felt excitement, nervousness it was a bittersweet moment as we all looked at each other, my dad said a prayer, the three of us exchanged handshakes and tight hugs and they told me “do what you do” When I think about this now I still get the same feelings I had in that moment and of course thinking about my dad who passed away in 2011 makes this part of the story tough to think about. It was a happy time as well and the start of a great career and looking back at it now more than 10 years later… I miss my dad as these thoughts go through my mind but I understand it´s the circle of life and it makes me smile because he was there as I left to start my professional basketball career.
