Billy Bates

Billy Bates is an American former professional basketball player who had a brief but impactful National Basketball Association career and became a legend in the Philippine Basketball Association. He has played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Washington Bullets while in the NBA.

Player Profile and Personal Life

Billy Ray Bates was born on May 31, 1956, in Kosciusko, Mississippi, the United States. He stood 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighed 211 pounds during his playing career.

Bates was the eighth of nine children in a sharecropping family. He struggled with alcohol from a young age, which would later impact his professional career.

High School and College Career

Bates attended McAdams High School in Mississippi, where he excelled in basketball.

He then played college basketball at Kentucky State University from 1974 to 1978, coming within 15 credits of graduating despite reading at a third-grade level.

Professional Career

Bates was selected by the Houston Rockets in the 3rd round of the 1978 NBA Draft as the 47th overall pick. His professional playing career spanned from 1978 to 1990, during which he primarily played as a shooting guard.

Bates began his professional journey with the Maine Lumberjacks from 1978 to 1980. He then joined the Portland Trail Blazers, where he played from 1980 to 1982. His NBA career continued with brief stints for the Washington Bullets in 1982 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1983.

After his time in the NBA, Bates played for various teams across different leagues.

He suited up for the Ohio Mixers in 1983-1984 and had two separate runs with the Crispa Redmanizers in the Philippines in 1983 and 1986. Between these stints, he played for Fribourg Olympic in Switzerland from 1984 to 1986.

Bates also played for the Charleston Gunners in 1986-1987 and had a significant stint with Ginebra San Miguel in the Philippines from 1986 to 1988. His playing career concluded with the Pensacola Tornados in 1990.

Bates also had a brief coaching career, serving as a coach for the Maine Lumberjacks from 1979 to 1980 while still playing for the team.

He was a three-time PBA champion, winning the Reinforced Filipino and Open conferences in 1983, and another Open conference title in 1986. He was twice named PBA Best Import of the Conference in 1983.

In the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), he was selected to the All-CBA First Team in 1980 and Second Team in 1979. Bates also earned the CBA Rookie of the Year award in 1979.

Career Highlights:

• 1979 - CBA Rookie of the Year
• 1980 - All-CBA First Team
• 1983 - PBA Best Import of the Conference (Reinforced Filipino)
• 1983 - PBA Best Import of the Conference (Open)
• 1983 - PBA champion (Reinforced Filipino)
• 1983 - PBA champion (Open)
• 1986 - PBA champion (Open)