Definitely one of the best basketball players I've ever seen. If he only got the breaks in the NBA he would easily be one of the best of all times. Watching him is like watching Bo Jackson in football where his career was cut short but ultimately could have been the best running back to play in the NFL. Bates compact stature and explosion is a beauty to watch.
Yes, I agree with you. Even DJ, a Sonic then could not handle him. You should see his thunderous dunks in the PBA. He was imho, the greatest PBA import player. He electrified the crowd.
Hey Billy, Keep your head up man. You were something great in Basketball but now thats gone...and the man that i was gracious enough to see when I was young dunking on people now STILL CAN BE GREAT IN LIFE CUZ HES GOT A GOOD HEART AND WAS RAISED TO RESPECT ANYONE HE COMES IN CONTACT WITH. THE WORLD HAS YET TO BE TREATED TO YOUR NEXT TALENT.....NOW GO GET IT BABY!!!! THATS REAL TALK MAN NOT ENCOURAGEMENT......YOUR A PEOPLE PERSON, NOW GO HELP YOURSELF NUMBER 1 AND US AFTER.... GOD BLESS, BRIAN
This is great! I grew up listening to Blazers games and Billy Ray was the real deal....for a short while. The guy could fill it up, thats for sure. He and Ron Brewer were a nice backcourt combo.
The original black superman i remember when he came to the philippines and everytime he plays he brought so much joy to our lives crispa and greattaste
Bates played in the philippines and he set the standards for pba player imports! And no one to date beats his brilliance to date in philippine basketball
Slashing...explosive...deadly accurate. He looked like a man among boys on this reel.He'dve fit perfectly with the "showtime" Lakers. What might have been.Hope you're well these days Billy Ray.
Billy Ray Bates was dubbed as the "Black Superman" in the Philippines. He played professionally in the Philippines during the 80's. He is very well loved by the basketball fans.
cool video! man, i never imagined bates was awesome in the nba. too bad he was not part of the blazers during their championship year, he would have been a cult icon there along with walton.
He took his skills here in the professional Basketball here in the Philippines in 1983 and 86 and he wowed all of us Filipinos with his 40 50 pts per game average and earned championships after championship simply the best ever that played, here then like in the NBA he just disappeared
A Guy like Bates reminds me of the School Yard Legends playing in the NYC Rucker Tournament in Harlem. True Play Ground Legends...Plenty of What If?🤔& Shoulda... Woulda...Could a🏀🏆🏀😁
Thanks for this wonderful vid. I did not expect. that BRB also play a great game in NBA. Before sharing his talents in PBA. But why BRB play only a short season in NBA, besides of his amazing and being one the talented player in NBA, even tho u have a miserable life after ur career ended. Bcoz of a wrong decision in life. I think that's a big also lesson to other. I hope u erase all of that's bad moment, and start again being a good BRB n inspiration to all, u dserved an award in PBA. God Bless
There is a GREAT, in-length description of Bates' life & early career in: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Breaks_of_the_Game Arguably, the BEST book ever about (pro) basketball.
In crunch time, option 1 is get the ball to the best player, get out of his way and let him win it. The best option 2 is when your best player is Jordan when he gets the ball and he is double or triple teamed he finds the open man for an easy basket.
I saw him practice with the 76ers in 1979 at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. I saw him grab the side of the backboard with one hand and dunk with the other. He was a power guard, like a Super John Williamson, Andrew Toney, Vinnie Johnson, a scorer with a killer instinct but way, way, way more athletic
The play against Seattle it was obvious who was in charge and going to take the shot. He was the man. Too bad it was only for a short time, like one season or a little longer. He was unstoppable. I remember once he drove to the basket from the left sideline and slammed it like Dr. J. in traffic. As Rick Barry would have said, 'He has the flair."
I see the comparison, and it matches on some aspects. But bates was way more a natural talent than Russ. His soft touch, pace change, gracious floating in fadeaways speaks so imho. Westbrook's game is far more built in the gym than Bates, BRB was somehow gifted by nature with the purest and raw baketball instinct you may ever see in a player.
Could have been an all time great if he had been disciplined, dedicated and lived clean. Billy Ray Bates was exciting to watch but a huge self inflicted mess off the court during his playing days and afterwards.
I'll never forget a story I read about Bates; he'd bring a coffee cup to practice with him; one of his teammates picked up the cup and sniffed it; he nearly puked, it was full of STRAIGHT Jim Beam! He had all the physical talent to be an All Star, however he apparently was dumb as a bag of hammers.. the famous story of how he was told to carry checks instead of cash when he was first signed and his response was 'what are checks??" "The Meteor!!" he was fun to watch though..
Had Billy Ray Bates lived a clean life, he would have been an NBA star. He was almost there. His lifestyle made him only a star in the Philippines. By 1988, he was so past it, even local PBA players were outplaying him, and he was sent back to the US along with teamate Kevin Gamble, who ironically took Lary Bird's spot on the Celtics whe he was injured in 1989. Go figure.
Billy Ray Bates could've been so much more. He could be the shining example for countless people who wanted to have a chance and play in the NBA. Unfortunately he turned out to be a major failure.
Bates was totally unprepared for the professional basketball world, you can feel it the way he talks. The difference with Dennis Johnson, so comfortable being interviewed, is somewhat shocking...
He could rob gas stations, cut people's ears off...AND PLAY BASKETBALL?? my goodness put this guy in the hall of fame. why doesn't he get the recognition that Julius Erving and Clyde Drexler got because he gosh dang deserves it with those skills.
Definitely one of the best basketball players I've ever seen. If he only got the breaks in the NBA he would easily be one of the best of all times. Watching him is like watching Bo Jackson in football where his career was cut short but ultimately could have been the best running back to play in the NFL. Bates compact stature and explosion is a beauty to watch.
His only weakness was hitting the bottle, thanks for the memories Billie Ray, fine player, fearless. What a legend.
Bates for President. One of the best NBA players ever. One of the most underrated NBA players ever.
He should have been an NBA SUPERSTAR
Unprepared for basketball? Billy wasn't prepared for life.. What a shining star
What could have been. He was so good, so talented. He played like Dr. J and Clyde Drexler.
Yes, I agree with you. Even DJ, a Sonic then could not handle him. You should see his thunderous dunks in the PBA. He was imho, the greatest PBA import player. He electrified the crowd.
Our local legend. Portland Trail Blazers, baby! Tony in Sherwood, Oregon.
Hey Billy, Keep your head up man. You were something great in Basketball but now thats gone...and the man that i was gracious enough to see when I was young dunking on people now STILL CAN BE GREAT IN LIFE CUZ HES GOT A GOOD HEART AND WAS RAISED TO RESPECT ANYONE HE COMES IN CONTACT WITH. THE WORLD HAS YET TO BE TREATED TO YOUR NEXT TALENT.....NOW GO GET IT BABY!!!! THATS REAL TALK MAN NOT ENCOURAGEMENT......YOUR A PEOPLE PERSON, NOW GO HELP YOURSELF NUMBER 1 AND US AFTER.... GOD BLESS, BRIAN
Brian Morris he's doing Good now
This is great! I grew up listening to Blazers games and Billy Ray was the real deal....for a short while. The guy could fill it up, thats for sure. He and Ron Brewer were a nice backcourt combo.
The original black superman i remember when he came to the philippines and everytime he plays he brought so much joy to our lives crispa and greattaste
That's the only side line reporting I've ever enjoyed. Incredible stuff.
Damn fans go insane. I cannot imagined that bates brought an insane games in the NBA
His points per minutes played were among the best in the league. He had all the tools, but couldn't stay off the drugs.
Very interesting video. I had not heard of Billy Ray Bates until I read about him in FreeDarko's Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History.
Bates played in the philippines and he set the standards for pba player imports! And no one to date beats his brilliance to date in philippine basketball
Slashing...explosive...deadly accurate. He looked like a man among boys on this reel.He'dve fit perfectly with the "showtime" Lakers. What might have been.Hope you're well these days Billy Ray.
He was in the philippines, received an award from PBA
We miss billy ray bates: from barangay ginebra fans.
Billy Ray Bates was dubbed as the "Black Superman" in the Philippines. He played professionally in the Philippines during the 80's. He is very well loved by the basketball fans.
cool video! man, i never imagined bates was awesome in the nba. too bad he was not part of the blazers during their championship year, he would have been a cult icon there along with walton.
In The PBA he is called the Black Superman....💪
Lupet mo idol
He became a huge star in the Philippines in the PBA. Too bad, his nightouts and partying got the best of him.
Thanks for sharing!
He took his skills here in the professional Basketball here in the Philippines in 1983 and 86 and he wowed all of us Filipinos with his 40 50 pts per game average and earned championships after championship simply the best ever that played, here then like in the NBA he just disappeared
NBA's loss, Philippine Basketball's gain. The Black Superman went on to become a legend here.
Bill Russell had the funniest laugh of all time.
A Cackle
A Guy like Bates reminds me of the School Yard Legends playing in the NYC Rucker Tournament in Harlem. True Play Ground Legends...Plenty of What If?🤔& Shoulda... Woulda...Could a🏀🏆🏀😁
he is 4times mvp import in philippine basketball asso.
Partied with Billy and Ian Davies when he was in CBA. An amazing player and nice guy.
Thanks for this wonderful vid. I did not expect. that BRB also play a great game in NBA. Before sharing his talents in PBA. But why BRB play only a short season in NBA, besides of his amazing and being one the talented player in NBA, even tho u have a miserable life after ur career ended. Bcoz of a wrong decision in life. I think that's a big also lesson to other. I hope u erase all of that's bad moment, and start again being a good BRB n inspiration to all, u dserved an award in PBA. God Bless
He was the original " instant offense"
There is a GREAT, in-length description of Bates' life & early career in:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Breaks_of_the_Game
Arguably, the BEST book ever about (pro) basketball.
In the US he was Billy Ray Bates, in the Philippines he is "The Black Superman".
Jack's play turns into a falling fade away against two guys
at any level in last possession of a one basket game this happens very often
In crunch time, option 1 is get the ball to the best player, get out of his way and let him win it. The best option 2 is when your best player is Jordan when he gets the ball and he is double or triple teamed he finds the open man for an easy basket.
BATESanity!!! Linsanity before Linsanity!
I saw him practice with the 76ers in 1979 at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. I saw him grab the side of the backboard with one hand and dunk with the other. He was a power guard, like a Super John Williamson, Andrew Toney, Vinnie Johnson, a scorer with a killer instinct but way, way, way more athletic
The play against Seattle it was obvious who was in charge and going to take the shot. He was the man. Too bad it was only for a short time, like one season or a little longer. He was unstoppable. I remember once he drove to the basket from the left sideline and slammed it like Dr. J. in traffic. As Rick Barry would have said, 'He has the flair."
Bates is a Westbrook damn
I see the comparison, and it matches on some aspects. But bates was way more a natural talent than Russ. His soft touch, pace change, gracious floating in fadeaways speaks so imho.
Westbrook's game is far more built in the gym than Bates,
BRB was somehow gifted by nature with the purest and raw baketball instinct you may ever see in a player.
Not enough players these days who have a mediocre boring season just to become a different breed in the playoffs like the old days
"Slumdog Millionaire" is what I think when I see the interview with Brent and Billy Ray Bates.
BRB is not be right back IT'S BILLY RAY BATES!!!
when i clicked on the video and looked at the guys with there short shorts and long socks i thought they were playing indoor soccer
billy ray bates the original bad boy of the n.b.a
Could have been an all time great if he had been disciplined, dedicated and lived clean. Billy Ray Bates was exciting to watch but a huge self inflicted mess off the court during his playing days and afterwards.
I'll never forget a story I read about Bates; he'd bring a coffee cup to practice with him; one of his teammates picked up the cup and sniffed it; he nearly puked, it was full of STRAIGHT Jim Beam! He had all the physical talent to be an All Star, however he apparently was dumb as a bag of hammers.. the famous story of how he was told to carry checks instead of cash when he was first signed and his response was 'what are checks??" "The Meteor!!" he was fun to watch though..
Had Billy Ray Bates lived a clean life, he would have been an NBA star. He was almost there. His lifestyle made him only a star in the Philippines. By 1988, he was so past it, even local PBA players were outplaying him, and he was sent back to the US along with teamate Kevin Gamble, who ironically took Lary Bird's spot on the Celtics whe he was injured in 1989. Go figure.
He was fast. Wonder why he was cut in the NBA. Well, it was Philippines gain.
the black superman!!!
in the philippines we called him the BLACK SUPERMAN.....
So what
Freaky athlete
Billy Ray Bates could've been so much more. He could be the shining example for countless people who wanted to have a chance and play in the NBA.
Unfortunately he turned out to be a major failure.
"are you here to stay?" no, i'm off to the philippines..
Bates is better than Drexler!!
Bates was doing all this Dr. J stuff at 6'4. Too bad he couldn't leave the liquor alone!
Kentucky State University own "Master Bates,"
He chose the wrong directions... He was given another chance in the ABL in the Philippines but he wasted the opportunities. I hope he is good now.
The original Jeremy Lin. Lin-sanity!
Man, Dennis Johnson had some bad teeth. But a legend nonetheless. R.I.P.
too bad no on really mentored or acted as role model for BRB. he would have become an NBA star.
Bill Walton could have mentored BIlly, could have told him to stay off the weed and...oh wait!
he is still here in the phill hope he never comes back in the US.. coz he can earn a good living here than there
Athletic freak, plenty of talent, too bad he didn't have the work ethic and discipline.
And never saw a bottle of beer he did not like.
He did not read btw.
He was overwhelmed after his mother passed started drug use ( coke) at that time
Joe Cue muscadine wine 🍷 was his fav drink . He’s from my hometown ( used to hang wit em in offseason)
Bates was totally unprepared for the professional basketball world, you can feel it the way he talks. The difference with Dennis Johnson, so comfortable being interviewed, is somewhat shocking...
He is now a homeless person roaming the streets of Jersey City New Jersey. Sad.
He could rob gas stations, cut people's ears off...AND PLAY BASKETBALL?? my goodness put this guy in the hall of fame. why doesn't he get the recognition that Julius Erving and Clyde Drexler got because he gosh dang deserves it with those skills.
damn, dude took a 20 footer...baseline fadeaway jumper under pressure....fearless and gifted....too bad his head cant take the fame....
NBA now a days looks like streetball... boring, im hoping to watch old NBA games like jordan, bird, chamberlain, bob cousy,
Wasted Talent