Ray Clay
Ray Clay is an American
Chicago Bulls
A native of
" as background music for the introductions. The Jordan-style introduction remains a tradition for any former Tar Heel with the Bulls with successors.Clay’s fame during the height of the Bulls success led to a minor acting career. For example, he guest starred in a 1993 episode of the sitcom Married... with Children and had roles in the films Blink and He Got Game. In addition, he lent his vocal talents to several basketball video games and read the "Top Ten" on the Late Show with David Letterman in 1998.[1]
2002 dismissal
In January 2002, Michael Jordan was scheduled to return to the United Center for the first time since leaving the Bulls in 1998. Jordan was then playing for the Washington Wizards, and Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti asked Clay how he was going to introduce the ex-Bull. Clay explained that he wanted to deliver his familiar introduction for Jordan, but team management had ordered him to introduce Jordan as he would any other opposing player. "When I gave my opinion, that was Ray Clay, the fan, talking. But when you work for an organization, you are bound by rules and how they want you to talk and act," he said.[2]
Clay was then fired in May of that year. The Bulls gave no official reason for Clay’s dismissal, but Clay speculated he was fired because of his disagreement with team management over Jordan’s introduction. “When you put two and two together, that’s all it could be. I can’t think of anything else I ever did wrong,” he told Mariotti.[2]
In April 2003, Clay accepted an invitation to introduce Jordan at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, where Jordan played his last game in the NBA.[3]
Chicago Sky
In 2006, Clay was hired to become an announcer for the
References
- ^ "Late Show With David Letterman #1141" http://www.tv.com/late-show-with-david-letterman/show-1141/episode/124096/summary.html.
- ^ a b Mariotti, Jay. “Tired tactics need no introduction”. Chicago Sun-Times. May 15, 2002.
- ^ Wyche, Steve. “The Air Finally Runs Out”. Washington Post. April 17, 2003.
- ^ Steve Tucker. "Sky hooks Clay to do its PA". Chicago Sun-Times. April 28, 2006. 131.