Agent_mulder Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 THE METEORBilly Ray Bates, Trail Blazer guardBY DAVE FITZPATRICK | dfitzpatrick at wweek.com [November 10th, 2004] Once, Billy Ray Bates held the world in his hands as surely as he held a basketball. After signing a 10-day contract with the Trail Blazers in 1980, the high-flying 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard slam-dunked his way into league history. During his rookie year in the NBA, he led the Blazers in scoring, taking it to the hole for an average of 25 points per game. It was a heady time for a Mississippi farm boy, the eighth of nine children, who got his start shooting hoops at Kentucky State University, followed by the Maine Lumberjacks of the long defunct Continental Basketball Association. Throughout 1981, Bates--nicknamed Dunk--continued his rise to stardom, thrilling fans with his aerial exploits. Then, one day in September 1982, his agent called. He'd been cut from the team. Bates checked into a Portland hospital, where he sought drug treatment. Bates played briefly with the Washington Bullets, before they let him go. He had a 10-day trial with the Lakers, but at 25 pounds overweight, that didn't work out either. In fact, he never played in the NBA again. He did play for two seasons in the Philippines, where he recaptured his former glory. "Those people, they loved me," he later told The Oregonian. "There, I was like Michael Jordan. I could have anything I wanted. All I had to do was snap my fingers. I had my own condo, my own car and my own bodyguard with an Uzi. Had to fight off the women." It didn't last. Bates later played in Switzerland, back in the U.S with the World Basketball League, the Philippines again, a few seasons in Mexico--even a season in Uruguay. But he never seemed to prosper for long. Bates hit bottom on Jan. 17, 1998, when he robbed a New Jersey Texaco station at knifepoint, slashing the ear of attendant Philip Kittel in the process. The crime netted Bates a grand total of five bucks--and seven years in prison. Today, Bates is an inmate at Hope Hall, a 164-bed halfway house for adult male offenders in Camden, N.J. During his stay, he has taken part in classes designed to mend damaged cognitive skills, ready himself for the workplace and learn how to manage his emotions. "This is one of the best facilities for...what's the word? Recovery!" says Bates, now 48. In the past, Bates has been vague about the root of his difficulties. In a 1992 interview with The Oregonian, for example, he denied having drug problems. But he now blames the gas-station robbery on cocaine and alcohol. "I went to play the lottery," he says. "And that's when the devil got inside me." According to Bates, he'd been hanging out with some younger friends that day, "trying to help them with their lives." Instead, he wound up drinking vodka, snorting cocaine, and holding up a Texaco. "That's not my character," he explains. "I was doing cocaine and drinking." At Hope Hall, Bates juggles church attendance, AA meetings and shifts at Aluminum Shapes, an aluminum extruder, where he readies products for shipping. In the evenings, he studies reading and writing at Camden Community College. In fact, he says, he's written a book, Born to Play Basketball, which he hopes to publish when he's released. But his burning ambition is to get back on the boards as a Portland Trail Blazer. "I'm trying to reapply myself in the NBA," he explains. "I been watching for the last 15 years, and I haven't seen anyone who can put the ball in the hoop like me." At the time of his arrest, Bates weighed only 26 pounds more than in his rookie year. "I'm in great shape," he insists. "Prison basketball is a lot more physical than the NBA. There's no whistle out there." Though his checkered past seems in keeping with the Blazers' tarnished image, it remains unclear whether he will get a chance to don the red-and-black. Authorities peg his current release for March 23, 2005, just three days after the regular season ends. Nevertheless, Bates is looking to the future. "I'm rehabilitated," he says. "I'm stronger than I've ever been. To all the Blazer Mania fans, I'll see you in 2005." Grabe din nangyari kay Bates, had he stayed around in here just like what Norman Black did. Norman Black was able to play in the PBA until the late 90's siguro but i guess that Norman and Billy are two different personalities off the court.... Quote Link to comment
big game vin Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 :evil: newbie top 10 in randomize order..- marquin chandler- silas mills- kenny travis- john best- kenny redfield- tonny harris- hamilton (caught using prohibited drugs.. i 4got his 1st name)- thompkins (caught using prohibited drugs.. i 4got his 1st name)- lamond strothers- henrry james special mention: rob parker n sonny alvarado.. :evil: Quote Link to comment
charlie12324 Posted May 9, 2007 Share Posted May 9, 2007 well, i really liked the andy fields - donnie ray koonce tandem. they dominated the field back when the open conference was played with two imports at a time. Quote Link to comment
gambit_^^ Posted May 9, 2007 Share Posted May 9, 2007 billy ray batesnorman blacktony harrislamont/d strothersbobby parks di ako maka-complete ng ten eh... Quote Link to comment
TheDRAGON Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 In random order: Bobby Parks Tony Harris Michael Hackett David Thirdkill Winston Crite Carlos Briggs Ronnie Thompkins Sean Chambers Norman Black Billy Ray Bates Honorable Mention : Tony Lang (he played most recently among the imports on the list, when the league's level of play was already raised significantly) Quote Link to comment
amante Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 1. Billy Ray Bates 2. Normal Black 3. Michael Hackett 4. Bobby Parks 5. Sean Chambers 6. Chris King 7. Sylvester Gray 8. Lamont Strothers 9. Roselle Ellis 10. John Best Quote Link to comment
UncleBob Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 1. bobby Parks2. B.R> Bates3. David Thirdkill4. Lamont Strothers5.Tony Harris6. Norman Black7. Terq Mott8.Carlos Briggs9.John Best10. Sean Chambers couldve beenart longjumping joe wardjulius nwosujermaine walkerstevin smithronnie thompkinsro elliskenny travisken redfield Quote Link to comment
tabouki Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 well, i really liked the andy fields - donnie ray koonce tandem. they dominated the field back when the open conference was played with two imports at a time. andy#1fields and donnie ray koonce - tandem da best din for me. di na mayabang, simple hardworking folks :thumbsupsmiley: billy robinsonbyron 'snake' jonestom cowartlarry mcneillmichael hackettbillyray batesglen mcdonald norman blackbobby parks Quote Link to comment
howard_the_duck Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 idol ko si redfield kasi tinalo niya ang ginebra :evil: Quote Link to comment
goomboo rumboo Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 BYRON "SNAKE" JONES DAVID THIRDKILL DEXTER SHOUSE BILLY RAY BATES DENNIS STILL JEFF MOORE CHIP ENGELAND TONY "HURRICANE" HARRIS MICHAEL YOUNG JOE WARD Quote Link to comment
mhigzz Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 billy ray batesmichael youngdavid thirdkillsean chambersnorman blacktony langbobby parkskevin gambletonny harrissilas mills Quote Link to comment
MaximumForce Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 1. BILLY RAY BATES (d best ever)2. TONY HARRIS3. ANDREW FIELDS4. DONNIE RAY KOONCE5. NORMAN BLACK6. CYRUS MAN7. MICHAEL HACKETT8. BOBBY PARKS9. DAVID THIRDKILL10. HENRY JAMES Quote Link to comment
MaximumForce Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 1. BILLY RAY BATES (d best ever)2. TONY HARRIS3. ANDREW FIELDS4. DONNIE RAY KOONCE5. NORMAN BLACK6. CYRUS MAN7. MICHAEL HACKETT8. BOBBY PARKS9. DAVID THIRDKILL10. HENRY JAMES Quote Link to comment
elvaracco Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 billy ray batescyrus mannandy fieldsnorman blackglenn macdonaldbobby parkssean chambersbyron "snake" jonesbruce "sky" kingdonnie ray koonce Quote Link to comment
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