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Raymond Townsend

b. 1955

American basketball player (born 1955)

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About Raymond Townsend

Born 1955. Raymond Townsend is an American and Filipino basketball player.

Raymond Anthony Townsend (born December 20, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player. He played three seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Golden State Warriors and the Indiana Pacers. Townsend played college basketball with the UCLA Bruins, earning all-conference honors in the Pacific-8 (known later as the Pac-12). He was selected by the Warriors in the first round of the 1978 NBA draft, with the 22nd overall pick, and became the first Filipino-American to play in the NBA. He played at the point guard position.

High school career Townsend attended Camden High School and Archbishop Mitty High School, in San Jose, California, where he played high school basketball. As a high school senior, he averaged close to 28 points a game for the Camden High Cougars. This was prior to the 3 point shot line being regulated years later. After graduating from high school, he played college basketball at UCLA.

College career Townsend played college basketball at UCLA, with the UCLA Bruins. He was a member of the 1975 UCLA National Basketball Championship team, which was the 10th and final NCAA championship team of the school's head coach, John Wooden. He earned first-team All-Pac-8 honors as a senior, in 1978.

Professional career Townsend was selected with the last pick in the first round (22nd overall), of the 1978 NBA draft, by the Golden State Warriors. He was the first Filipino-American to play in the NBA. He concluded his NBA career in 1982, as a member of the Indiana Pacers. He also played in Italy's LBA with Banco Roma, during the 1984–85 season. With Roma, he won the 1984 edition of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup.

Personal life Townsend was born in San Jose, California. He is half-Filipino through his mother. A 1976 Sports Illustrated issue featured Townsend's father, Ray Sr., in its "Faces in the Crowd" section. He was recognized as "the oldest junior college basketball player in history." At age 39, he was the second man off the bench.

Townsend's brother, Kurtis,

Regular season

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Education
Camden High School, University of California, Los Angeles, Archbishop Mitty High School
Awards
FIBA Intercontinental Cup; List of All-Pac-12 Conference men's basketball teams; List of NCAA Men's Division I Basketball champions
Also known as
Raymond Anthony Townsend

People in Raymond Townsend's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Raymond Townsend's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Raymond Townsend?

American basketball player (born 1955)

When was Raymond Townsend born?

Raymond Townsend was born on 20 December 1955 in San Jose.

What is Raymond Townsend's occupation?

Raymond Townsend is a basketball player.

What nationality is Raymond Townsend?

Raymond Townsend is American and Filipino.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Raymond Townsend

· Wikidata: Q1622122

· DBpedia: Raymond Townsend

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Raymond Townsend. https://biography.guide/raymond-townsend/

MLA: "Raymond Townsend." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/raymond-townsend/.

Chicago: "Raymond Townsend." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/raymond-townsend/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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