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Player profile · CHI / GSW
Clifford Ray
Clifford Ray stats, teams and career impact
#172 all-timeCareer averages · 7.4 PPG · 8.9 RPG · 2.2 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Center
- Final NBA team
- Golden State Warriors
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 9 in (206 cm) · 230 lb (104 kg)
- Born
- January 21, 1949 (77 yrs old)
- College
- Oklahoma
- NBA seasons
- 10 seasons · 1971–72 to 1980–81
Career summaryClifford Ray was a center who played 10 NBA seasons, from 1971–72 through 1980–81.
- Career PPG
- 7.4
- Career RPG
- 8.9
- Career APG
- 2.2
- #5 in 1972–73
- #172 all-time
Best-Season Impact Rank
Career Impact Rank
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
Career overview
Why Clifford Ray ranks #172 all time
Clifford Ray ranks #172 all time. 3 top-ten finishes give him a sustained run near the top of the league. His full-career value ranks #281, so this placement is driven more by dominance than longevity.
3 top-ten finishes
784 games · Career Value Rank #281
Head to head
Compare Clifford Ray with…
Suggested matchups from basketball rivalries, comparable roles, and similar careers. Compare career impact, peak seasons, and the numbers behind the result.
- Clifford Ray vs. Dave DeBusschere Defensive supporting roles
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- Clifford Ray vs. Ray Scott Defensive supporting roles
- Clifford Ray vs. Ron Harper Defensive supporting roles
- Clifford Ray vs. Rich Kelley Similar career path
- Clifford Ray vs. Dan Issel Similar career path
- Clifford Ray vs. Willis Reed Similar career path
- Clifford Ray vs. Bam Adebayo Similar career path
- Clifford Ray vs. Clyde Lovellette Similar career path
- Clifford Ray vs. Lauri Markkanen Similar career path
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 52.4%FG%
- Three-point
- 0.0%3P%
- Free throw
- 58.8%FT%
784 career games · 19,940 minutes
Sources and updateConventional stats and measurements: Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 13, 2026. hussEyquation ranking data through 2025–26. Life dates: Wikidata; conflicting dates checked against Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 17, 2026.
Traditional box score
Clifford Ray stats by season
Start with scoring and impact, then switch views for shooting or the full advanced picture. Career percentages use total makes and attempts.
Swipe for PPG · RPG · APG · Impact · Team · G · GS · MPG →
| 1980–81 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 0.8 | -6.39 | GSW | 66 | 0 | 12.7 | 42.1% | — | 46.8% | #244 | -77.3 |
| 1979–80 | 6.0 | 5.8 | 2.3 | -1.37 | GSW | 81 | 0 | 20.8 | 53.0% | 0.0% | 56.4% | #148 | 22.1 |
| 1978–79 | 6.9 | 7.4 | 1.7 | -0.69 | GSW | 82 | 0 | 23.4 | 52.6% | — | 55.8% | #121 | 53.5 |
| 1977–78 | 8.8 | 9.6 | 1.9 | +1.55 | GSW | 79 | 0 | 28.7 | 57.1% | — | 60.9% | #40 | 177.9 |
| 1976–77 | 8.2 | 8.0 | 1.5 | +1.10 | GSW | 77 | 0 | 26.2 | 58.4% | — | 52.8% | #57 | 140.4 |
| 1975–76 | 6.9 | 9.5 | 1.8 | +1.84 | GSW | 82 | 82 | 26.6 | 52.5% | — | 60.9% | #30 | 189.0 |
| 1974–75 | 9.4 | 10.6 | 2.2 | +1.47 | GSW | 82 | 0 | 30.7 | 52.2% | — | 60.2% | #32 | 195.7 |
| 1973–74 | 9.3 | 12.2 | 3.1 | +2.95 | CHI | 80 | 0 | 32.9 | 51.1% | — | 60.8% | #8 | 285.3 |
| 1972–73 | 8.6 | 10.9 | 3.7 | +4.17 | CHI | 73 | 0 | 27.5 | 49.2% | — | 61.9% | #5 | 269.7 |
| 1971–72 | 7.0 | 10.6 | 3.1 | +3.56 | CHI | 82 | 0 | 22.8 | 49.9% | — | 61.5% | #8 | 235.7 |
| Career | 7.4 | 8.9 | 2.2 | — | CHI/GSW | 784 | — | 25.4 | 52.4% | 0.0% | 58.8% | — | — |
Source: Basketball Reference regular-season totals, accessed Sep 13, 2026.
What these measures mean
- Era-centered box impact
- Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average.
- Impact Rate Rank
- The player's place among qualified players in one season.
- Value contribution / Season Value
- Completed seasons use a fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. The live season instead uses Season Value, combining that season's impact with workload.
- Career Impact Rank
- An all-time rank weighted toward the player's best three, five, and ten seasons.
22.3 composite · lower is better
16.6 average league finish
1,492 total value
Career standing
How Clifford Ray ranks all time
These are league placements, not raw scores. Each season is judged against that season's qualified player pool.
Best in the league
Elite finishes
Upper-tier finishes
Tie-breaker across top-ten seasons
Career Composite Score22.3
Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes receive 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights. Missing seasons receive a replacement finish just below the player's typical qualified field. Lower is better.
- Best 3 effective weight
- 74%
- Missing-season finish
- 209.5
- Qualified seasons
- 10
- All-time rank
- #172
Strongest seasons
Every season
Clifford Ray advanced stats by season
Era-centered box impact supports comparisons through time. Impact Rate and its rank compare players only within that season.
More advanced statsAge, minutes, impact, rank, value and data coverage
Scroll for more columns
| 1980–81Historical Defense Estimate | GSW | 32 | 66 | 838 | -6.39 | 2.0 | #244 | -77.3 | 0th | Standard |
| 1979–80Historical Defense Estimate | GSW | 31 | 81 | 1,683 | -1.37 | 36.4 | #148 | 22.1 | 39th | Broad |
| 1978–79Historical Defense Estimate | GSW | 30 | 82 | 1,917 | -0.69 | 47.1 | #121 | 53.5 | 50th | Broad |
| 1977–78Historical Defense Estimate | GSW | 29 | 79 | 2,268 | +1.55 | 83.5 | #40 | 177.9 | 83rd | Broad |
| 1976–77Historical Defense Estimate | GSW | 28 | 77 | 2,018 | +1.10 | 77.0 | #57 | 140.4 | 77th | Broad |
| 1975–76Historical Defense Estimate | GSW | 27 | 82 | 2,184 | +1.84 | 84.6 | #30 | 189.0 | 82nd | Broad |
| 1974–75Historical Defense Estimate | GSW | 26 | 82 | 2,519 | +1.47 | 83.4 | #32 | 195.7 | 88th | Broad |
| 1973–74Historical Defense Estimate | CHI | 25 | 80 | 2,632 | +2.95 | 96.0 | #8 | 285.3 | 93rd | Broad |
| 1972–73Historical Defense Estimate | CHI | 24 | 73 | 2,009 | +4.17 | 97.7 | #5 | 269.7 | 90th | Modeled |
| 1971–72Historical Defense Estimate | CHI | 23 | 82 | 1,872 | +3.56 | 95.7 | #8 | 235.7 | 86th | Modeled |
Career movement
Clifford Ray's career impact by season
Peak +4.17 in 1972–73 · 10 seasons · 19,940 minutes
The same historical box-score model is used for every season, making the career shape comparable through time. The vertical scale adapts to this player's range and always includes zero.
Era-centered box impactMinutesModeled estimate
Player-specific impact scaleWorkload
Career comparison
Compare the shape, not the calendar
Align by NBA experience to compare season one with season one, or by age to compare players at the same stage of life.
Clifford RayRich Kelley
| NBA season | Clifford Ray | Rich Kelley |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3.6 | 3.1 |
| 2 | 4.2 | 2.4 |
| 3 | 3.0 | 3.2 |
| 4 | 1.5 | 4.1 |
| 5 | 1.8 | 0.8 |
| 6 | 1.1 | 2.6 |
| 7 | 1.6 | 0.3 |
| 8 | -0.7 | -0.7 |
| 9 | -1.4 | -1.7 |
| 10 | -6.4 | -1.9 |
| 11 | Did not play | -1.5 |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to Clifford Ray
The career-similarity score compares era-centered box impact, peak, prime, workload, career length, position, and experience-aligned trajectory. It describes career shape, not playing style, equal ability, or probability.
C · All-Time Career #196
Rich Kelley
93career similarity score
95/100 closest-season score · 1972–73 ↔ 1977–78C · All-Time Career #199Dan Issel
91career similarity score
85/100 closest-season score · 1972–73 ↔ 1976–77C · All-Time Career #96Willis Reed
90career similarity score
83/100 closest-season score · 1972–73 ↔ 1968–69Impact Rate shows how strong a player was compared with everyone else that season. Season Value adds how much he played; completed player-profile rows instead show each season's fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. Career Impact Rank rewards a high peak, a long prime, and repeated seasons near the top. Older seasons use clearly labeled estimates where the NBA did not record today's full set of statistics. Read how every ranking works →