From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
|
 |
|||
| Line 53: | Line 53: | ||
|
==Professional career== |
==Professional career== |
||
|
He was drafted by the [[Houston Rockets]] with the third pick of the [[1983 NBA draft|1983 NBA Draft]], playing four seasons with them. Averaging 10.8 points per game in Houston,<ref name=”Roselius2011″>{{cite book |last=Roselius |first=J. Chris |title=Houston Rockets EBook |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4fDBU1pbp4kC&pg=PA22 |access-date=April 12, 2013 |date=September 1, 2011 |publisher=ABDO |isbn=978-1-61787-779-7 |page=22}}</ref> he further averaged double-digit scoring in eight of his first nine seasons.<ref>[https://www.si.com/nba/bulls/old-school/how-michael-jordans-trash-talk-forced-rodney-mccray-into-early-retirement How Michael Jordan’s trash talk forced Rodney McCray into early retirement]</ref> Starting from the Rockets’ [[1985–86 Houston Rockets season|1986 season]] – when [[Robert Reid (basketball)|Robert Reid]] shifted to point guard – McCray took on an expanded |
He was drafted by the [[Houston Rockets]] with the third pick of the [[1983 NBA draft|1983 NBA Draft]], playing four seasons with them. Averaging 10.8 points per game in Houston,<ref name=”Roselius2011″>{{cite book |last=Roselius |first=J. Chris |title=Houston Rockets EBook |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4fDBU1pbp4kC&pg=PA22 |access-date=April 12, 2013 |date=September 1, 2011 |publisher=ABDO |isbn=978-1-61787-779-7 |page=22}}</ref> he further averaged double-digit scoring in eight of his first nine seasons.<ref>[https://www.si.com/nba/bulls/old-school/how-michael-jordans-trash-talk-forced-rodney-mccray-into-early-retirement How Michael Jordan’s trash talk forced Rodney McCray into early retirement]</ref> Starting from the Rockets’ [[1985–86 Houston Rockets season|1986 season]] – when [[Robert Reid (basketball)|Robert Reid]] shifted to point guard – McCray took on an expanded role as a forward, with the offense running more frequently through him. Contemporary coverage described him as a [[Point forward|point forward,]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=1986-05-18 |title=Sampson, Olajuwon Provide Confidence |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1986/05/18/sampson-olajuwon-provide-confidence/3d10b1e5-d623-4b05-9fd6-437ef0b5eff0/ |access-date=2026-01-03 |work=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> a role that was rarely defined or discussed at the time.<ref>{{Cite news |title=WHO ACTUALLY CAME UP WITH ‘POINT FORWARD’? It wasn’t Scottie Pippen |url=https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/who-actually-came-up-with-point-forward-it-wasnt-scottie-pippen |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241204090959/https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/who-actually-came-up-with-point-forward-it-wasnt-scottie-pippen |archive-date=2024-12-04 |access-date=2026-01-03 |work=Basketball Network – Your daily dose of basketball |language=en}}</ref> |
||
|
In his prime, he was also among the league’s elite point-of-attack defenders, earning NBA All-Defensive Team honors in 1987 and 1988, as well as a trip to the NBA Finals in [[1986 NBA Finals|1986]] in a losing cause against [[Larry Bird]]’s [[Boston Celtics]].<ref name=”Mallozzi1998″>{{cite book |last=Mallozzi |first=Vincent M. |title=Basketball: the legends and the game |url=https://archive.org/details/basketballlegend0000mall |url-access=registration |access-date=April 12, 2013 |date=October 1, 1998 |publisher=Firefly Books |isbn=978-1-55209-247-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/basketballlegend0000mall/page/219 219]}}</ref> In 1988, he was traded to the [[Sacramento Kings]] with [[Jim Petersen]] in a package for [[Otis Thorpe]]. In 1990, he was traded to the [[Dallas Mavericks]] for [[Bill Wennington]]. He spent his final season with the [[Chicago Bulls]] after being dealt to them in a three-team trade.<ref name=”Ramsay2004″>{{cite book |last=Ramsay |first=Dr. Jack |title=Dr. Jack’s Leadership Lessons Learned From a Lifetime in Basketball |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uDQYw_Dr-hEC&pg=PA179 |access-date=April 12, 2013 |date=January 5, 2004 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-471-46929-2 |page=179}}</ref> He finished his career by winning an [[1993 NBA Finals|NBA championship]] ring with the Bulls in 1993.<ref name=”Mallozzi1998″ /> |
In his prime, he was also among the league’s elite point-of-attack defenders, earning NBA All-Defensive Team honors in 1987 and 1988, as well as a trip to the NBA Finals in [[1986 NBA Finals|1986]] in a losing cause against [[Larry Bird]]’s [[Boston Celtics]].<ref name=”Mallozzi1998″>{{cite book |last=Mallozzi |first=Vincent M. |title=Basketball: the legends and the game |url=https://archive.org/details/basketballlegend0000mall |url-access=registration |access-date=April 12, 2013 |date=October 1, 1998 |publisher=Firefly Books |isbn=978-1-55209-247-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/basketballlegend0000mall/page/219 219]}}</ref> In 1988, he was traded to the [[Sacramento Kings]] with [[Jim Petersen]] in a package for [[Otis Thorpe]]. In 1990, he was traded to the [[Dallas Mavericks]] for [[Bill Wennington]]. He spent his final season with the [[Chicago Bulls]] after being dealt to them in a three-team trade.<ref name=”Ramsay2004″>{{cite book |last=Ramsay |first=Dr. Jack |title=Dr. Jack’s Leadership Lessons Learned From a Lifetime in Basketball |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uDQYw_Dr-hEC&pg=PA179 |access-date=April 12, 2013 |date=January 5, 2004 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-471-46929-2 |page=179}}</ref> He finished his career by winning an [[1993 NBA Finals|NBA championship]] ring with the Bulls in 1993.<ref name=”Mallozzi1998″ /> |
||
Latest revision as of 03:12, 4 January 2026
American former basketball player (born 1961)
Rodney Earl McCray (born August 29, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6’7″ small forward, he spent 10 seasons (1983–93) in the National Basketball Association (NBA), tallying 9,014 career points and 5,087 career rebounds.
McCray attended the University of Louisville and was a key member of the Cardinals team that won the 1980 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship. His college teammates included his brother, Scooter McCray, as well as Darrell Griffith and Derek Smith. McCray qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team but was unable to compete due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott. In 2007, he did receive one of 461 Congressional Gold Medals created especially for the spurned athletes.[1]
Professional career
[edit]
He was drafted by the Houston Rockets with the third pick of the 1983 NBA Draft, playing four seasons with them. Averaging 10.8 points per game in Houston,[2] he further averaged double-digit scoring in eight of his first nine seasons.[3] Starting from the Rockets’ 1986 season – when Robert Reid shifted to point guard – McCray took on an expanded role as a forward, with the offense running more frequently through him. Contemporary coverage described him as a point forward,[4] a role that was rarely defined or discussed at the time.[5]
In his prime, he was also among the league’s elite point-of-attack defenders, earning NBA All-Defensive Team honors in 1987 and 1988, as well as a trip to the NBA Finals in 1986 in a losing cause against Larry Bird‘s Boston Celtics.[6] In 1988, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings with Jim Petersen in a package for Otis Thorpe. In 1990, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Bill Wennington. He spent his final season with the Chicago Bulls after being dealt to them in a three-team trade.[7] He finished his career by winning an NBA championship ring with the Bulls in 1993.[6]
NBA career statistics
[edit]
| Â Â GP | Games played | Â Â GSÂ | Games started | Â MPGÂ | Minutes per game |
| Â FG%Â | Field goal percentage | Â 3P%Â | 3-point field goal percentage | Â FT%Â | Free throw percentage |
| Â RPGÂ | Rebounds per game | Â APGÂ | Assists per game | Â SPGÂ | Steals per game |
|  BPG | Blocks per game |  PPG | Points per game |  Bold | Career high |
| Â *Â | Led the league |
- ^ Caroccioli, Tom; Caroccioli, Jerry (May 2008). Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Highland Park, IL: New Chapter Press. pp. 243–253. ISBN 978-0942257403.
- ^ Roselius, J. Chris (September 1, 2011). Houston Rockets EBook. ABDO. p. 22. ISBN 978-1-61787-779-7. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
- ^ How Michael Jordan’s trash talk forced Rodney McCray into early retirement
- ^ “Sampson, Olajuwon Provide Confidence”. The Washington Post. May 18, 1986. ISSNÂ 0190-8286. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ^ “WHO ACTUALLY CAME UP WITH ‘POINT FORWARD’? It wasn’t Scottie Pippen”. Basketball Network – Your daily dose of basketball. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ^ a b Mallozzi, Vincent M. (October 1, 1998). Basketball: the legends and the game. Firefly Books. p. 219. ISBN 978-1-55209-247-7. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
- ^ Ramsay, Dr. Jack (January 5, 2004). Dr. Jack’s Leadership Lessons Learned From a Lifetime in Basketball. John Wiley & Sons. p. 179. ISBN 978-0-471-46929-2. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
