Raymond Felton is an American-born professional basketball star who plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA. His long-running professional career dates back to the 2005 NBA draft where he was picked in the first round by the Charlotte Bobcats. Before turning pro, Felton had a well-decorated college career at the University of North Carolina.
Raymond Felton Bio, Age
Raymond Bernard Felton, Jr. was born on June 26, 1984, in Marion, South Carolina. He had his high school education at Latta High School in Latta, South Carolina where he began his basketball career. Among other highlights of his high school stint, the talented youngster led the school to 2 state championships. He was named the South Carolina Mr. Basketball both as a junior and a senior and he also set state scoring records of 2,992 total points and 117 3-pointers. In addition to winning the 2002 Naismith Prep Player of the Year award in his senior year, Felton featured in the 2002 editions of the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Roundball Classic earning MVP honors in the latter.
By the end of his high school stint, Raymond Felton was rated as a 5-star recruit, the No. 1 point guard, and the No. 3 player of the class of 2002. The talented youngster chose the University of North Carolina for his college basketball career. As a sophomore, Felton was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year Award. He helped the North Carolina Tar Heels men’s basketball team win the 2005 NCAA National Championship in his junior season and his performance earned him the Bob Cousy Award as well as All-ACC First Team honors.
NBA Career
Forgoing his final year of college eligibility, Raymond Felton entered the 2005 NBA Draft where he was selected fifth overall by the Charlotte Bobcats. In his rookie season, he averaged 11.9 points, 5.6 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game, a performance which earned him NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection. He became the No. 1 point guard on the Bobcats’ depth chart in his second season even as he made improvements in his overall performance. He remained consistent throughout his stint with the Charlotte Bobcats, however, the team did not make it to the playoffs until 2010, his last season with the franchise.
Following the expiration of his contract with the Bobcats, Raymond Felton joined the New York Knicks as a free agent in July 2010. The NBA star made 54 total appearances for the Knicks recording career-high averages of 17.1 points, 9.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. Despite his supposed top form, he was traded mid-season to the Denver Nuggets in February 2011. He finished off the 2010-11 season with the Nuggets as a backup to fellow guard Ty Lawson. At the end of the season, he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in a multi-player deal. However, his one-season stint with the team was mainly uneventful as his scoring average dipped to 11.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
In July 2012, Felton was traded back to his former team, the New York Knicks in a multi-player deal. His stats improved slightly in the 2012-13 season with his scoring averages upping to 13.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, however, did not fare so well in the season that followed. He joined the Dallas Mavericks in June 2014 but he was sidelined by an ankle injury for the greater part of the 2014-15 season.
After one more season with the Mavericks, Felton moved to the LA Clippers in July 2016. Following a not-so-impressive one season with the team, he joined the Oklahoma City Thunder in July 2017 and after a satisfactory first season as the team’s backup point guard, the NBA veteran signed a one-year contract extension with the Thunder in July 2018.
Net Worth
Veteran NBA star, Raymond Felton can be adjudged to have fared well financially in his long-running pro basketball career. He has played for at least 7 different NBA sides in his 10 years plus career. Through his massive career earnings and a number of lucrative ventures, Felton has amassed a net worth of $15 million.
Family – Parents, Nephew
Raymond Felton’s parents are Barbara and Raymond Felton Sr. He was raised alongside 2 siblings, sisters Juvonna and Charmaine. Apparently, the NBA star got his great athletic genes from his dad who equally excelled in basketball in his prime. For a long time, Raymond Felton Sr. was considered the best player in their small town of Latta, till he got overtaken by his son.
Felton’s nephew, Jalek Felton is equally a basketball star in his own rights. Just like his famous uncle, he made an early commitment to play college basketball at the University of North Carolina. A five-star prospect, the younger Felton was the most-heralded recruit for UNC in the class of 2017. However, his stint with the team ended unceremoniously in January 2018 when he got suspended for misconduct. He officially withdrew from the institution in March 2018 and about 3 months later, he got signed to Slovenia-based basketball club, Petrol Olimpija.
Who is Raymond Felton Wife?
Raymond Felton is currently married to Tabitha Tuggle. The couple tied the knot on August 26, 2017. Theirs was a lavish ceremony held at The Joule in the Main Street District of Dallas, Texas.
Prior to his present union, Felton was previously married to Ariane Raymondo. The now-estranged duo got married in 2012, however, their union ended in divorce after 19 months.
Height and Other Body Measurements
Raymond Felton is 6 feet 1 inch (195 cm) in height. He keeps his athletic physique with a weight of 93 kg (205 lbs). In his over a decade-long NBA career, the veteran point guard has proven to be an efficient addition to the offense of his teams.
