McCray to Enter Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame
July 29, 2002 | Men's Basketball
July 29, 2002
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Rodney McCray, who helped the University of Louisville reach three NCAA Final Fours during his career in the early 1980s, is among nine stellar athletic figures who will be inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame on Monday, Sept. 9, at 6:30 p.m. at Louisville's Executive West Hotel.
Tickets to the dinner, sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance and which donates proceeds to Kosair Charities, are $45 and can be purchased through Kosair Charities (502-637-7696).
The Hall of Fame, which was founded in 1964 to honor athletes, coaches, officials, administrators and contributors who made significant contributions to sports in the state, is limited to either natives of Kentucky or those who made their reputations in the state.
McCray is one of just four U of L players to surpass both 1,000 career points (1,247) and rebounds (1,029).
A 6-7 forward/center from Mt. Vernon, N.Y., McCray helped U of L to a combined 109-26 record and three NCAA Final Four appearances in four seasons (1979-83), starting 132 consecutive games.
A starter on the Cards' 1980 NCAA Championship team, McCray was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, the year the United States boycotted the Olympics. He was honored as Metro Conference Player of the Year in 1983.
McCray played 10 seasons in the NBA (Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, Chicago Bulls) from 1983-93. He currently resides in Houston.
McCray joins eight prominent athletic figures to be inducted in the 2002 class, including: Richie Farmer, a former Clay County High School and University of Kentucky basketball player; Alfred 'Sonny' Collins, a former University of Kentucky running back and all-time leading rusher; Patti Cooksey, a jockey who is only the second female to win at least 2,000 races; Guy Strong, a high school and college coach who led Kentucky Wesleyan to its first NCAA Division II title in 1966; Johnny Owens, a two-time state high school and two-time State Amateur golf champion; Danny Sullivan, an Indy-car race driver who won the 1985 Indianapolis 500; Maurice Moorman, an all state football player at St. Xavier High School and a standout NFL lineman; and Wes Strader, a former Western Kentucky broadcaster.
The nine inductees bring the total enshrined in the Hall to 176. Their bronze plaques will be on permanent display along the corridors in Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville.
