Ray Scott
Philly native John Raymond “Ray” Scott was chosen as the 4th pick in the 1961 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons. He spent six years with the Pistons as a stand-out rebounder and deadly shooter from the perimeter, and another five years playing for the Baltimore Bullets and the Virginia Squires. Then, in October 1972, Scott was promoted from Assistant to Head Coach of the Detroit Pistons. Two years later he was named NBA Coach of the Year, the first African-American to win the coveted award. From 1976 to 1979, Scott was Men’s Basketball Head Coach at Eastern Michigan University. Today, he lives with his family in Eastern Michigan, not far from Detroit. His book, The NBA in Black and White: The Memoir of a Trailblazing NBA Player and Coach, was published by Seven Stories Press in June of 2022.
