Clifford Ray
A bruising, intelligent NBA center whose defensive grit and passing genius were essential to a championship underdog story.
Born 1949 (age 77)·American basketball player and coach·Birthday: January 21·Baby Boomers
Biography
Clifford Ray's NBA career was a masterclass in doing the hard, unglamorous work that turns good teams into champions. Drafted by the Chicago Bulls, he made his name as a relentless rebounder and shot-blocker, but his legacy was forged with the Golden State Warriors. Paired with the flashy Rick Barry, Ray was the defensive anchor and emotional core of the 1975 squad that stunned the basketball world by sweeping the Washington Bullets for the title. His value went beyond stats; he was a brilliant passer from the high post, a savvy defender who leveraged his wide frame, and a locker room pillar. After his playing days, he transitioned into a long career as an assistant coach, specializing in big man development, mentoring stars like Dwight Howard and Joakim Noah, and proving that his understanding of the game's interior arts was as sharp as ever.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Clifford was born in 1949, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Clifford Was Born
The biggest hits of 1949
#1 Movie
Samson and Delilah
Best Picture
All the King's Men
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Clifford's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1949Born
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1954Started school
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1962Became a teenager
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Could drive
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1967Could vote
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Turned 21
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1979Turned 30
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 40
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 50
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 60
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 70
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 77 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won an NBA Championship as the starting center for the 1974-75 Golden State Warriors.
- Led the NBA in total offensive rebounds during the 1974-75 season.
- Recorded a career-high 24 rebounds in a single game for the Chicago Bulls in 1972.
- Built a decades-long second career as a respected NBA assistant coach and big man tutor for multiple teams.
Did You Know?
He famously saved teammate Kermit Washington's life in 1982 by performing an emergency tracheotomy with a penknife after Washington was shot.
Ray once had a pet monkey named 'Mongo' during his playing days with the Warriors.
He was known for his exceptional outlet passing, often triggering fast breaks with precise long throws.
After retiring, he worked as a big man coach for the Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, and Chicago Bulls.
“You don't win games by watching the ball; you win them by going and getting it.”
