Ralph Adolphus Lewis (born March 28, 1963) is a retired American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player. He was a 6'6" (198 cm) 200 lb (91 kg)

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

and attended La Salle University.

La Salle

In college, Lewis scored 1,807 points (15.6 ppg average) in his four years at La Salle. He was named to the First Team All- MAAC (1983–1984 and 1984–1985) and First Team All

Big 5 Big Five may refer to: Animals * the Big Five, large African wild animals said to be most difficult to hunt: lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and Cape buffalo * Big Five animals of the Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India: Indian rhinocero ...

in 1984 and 1985. Lewis received the Geasey Award as the Big 5 Player of the Year in 1984, when he helped the Explorers become Big 5 co-champions. He was inducted into La Salle Hall of Athletes in 1990 and the Big 5 Hall of Fame in 1991.

NBA

Lewis was selected by the Boston Celtics in the

1985 NBA Draft The 1985 NBA Draft took place on June 18, 1985. It was also the first NBA draft of the "lottery" era. It was also around this time where the league decreased the amount of rounds the draft spent, with the previous few years lasting up to 10 roun ...

and began his career in 1987 with the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...

. He also played with the Charlotte Hornets.

Coaching career

Lewis became an assistant coach with the

Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...

in 2005.Sonics Announce Additions to Basketball Staff
August 23, 2007 Prior to that he was the head coach of the NBA Development League's

Huntsville Flight Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...

for three seasons, compiling a 73–71 win–loss record. On December 26, 2010, Lewis was one of three assistants hired to serve under interim

Charlotte Bobcats Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populou ...

head coach

Paul Silas Paul Theron Silas (July 12, 1943 – December 10, 2022) was an American professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, he was a two-time NBA All-Star and earned five selections to the N ...

Personal life

In 2006, while Lewis was an assistant with the Sonics, his 82-year-old maternal grandmother was killed in Philadelphia. She suffered multiple stab wounds to her chest and throat.Grandmother of Sonics assistant killed in Philly - NBA - ESPN
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References

External links

@ basketballreference.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Ralph 1963 births Living people African-American basketball coaches African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball coaches from Pennsylvania Bay State Bombardiers players Boston Celtics draft picks Charlotte Bobcats assistant coaches Charlotte Hornets expansion draft picks Charlotte Hornets players Columbus Horizon players Detroit Pistons players Huntsville Flight coaches La Salle Explorers men's basketball players Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coaches Pensacola Tornados (1986–1991) players Rapid City Thrillers players Seattle SuperSonics assistant coaches Shooting guards Sioux Falls Skyforce (CBA) players Basketball players from Philadelphia 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople