Gray attended Sumner High School where he played basketball all four years and football through his junior year. During Gray’s junior football season, he broke his leg and chose not to return for his senior football season.
During his senior year at Sumner, Gray led the Spartans to an undefeated season and the 1969 Kansas Class 4 state basketball championship. In the state title game against McPherson High School, Gray totaled 24 points and 22 rebounds. Gray’s high school coach Roy Flook told the Kansas City Star that college coaches told him that “Leonard is the top prospect in the country”.[2]
Due to NCAA freshman eligibility rules in effect at that time,[4] Gray was limited to competing for the Jayhawks 1969–1970 freshman basketball team. Gray averaged 17.5 points per game for the 1969–1970 Jayhawk freshmen squad.[5]
On October 15, 1970, weeks before what would have been Gray’s sophomore season at Kansas, Kansas coach Ted Owens announced Gray had left the Jayhawk basketball program and would transfer to another school. Ironically, that season Kansas advanced to the 1971 Final 4, but the subsequent two seasons ended in sub-.500 records.[6]
Gray didn't become eligible for competition for Long Beach State until February 1, 1972, which was midway through the 1971–1972 season. In his opening game for the 49ers, Gray scored 16 points in a victory over Cal-Irvine.[8]
In March 1972, the 49ers season ended in a loss to Bill Walton’s UCLA Bruins in the 1972 NCAA West Regional Final by the score of 73–57.
After the 1972–1973 season, Gray was drafted with the 45th overall pick in the 3rd round of the 1973 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks but declined the professional opportunity and returned to Long Beach State.
Gray also was drafted by the Utah Stars in the 1973 ABA Draft.[10]
In 1974, Gray earned first team All-PCAA and PCAA Player of the Year.[12]
Gray finished his career at Long Beach State averaging 10.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.[13]
Following his senior year at Long Beach State, Gray was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 26th overall pick in the 2nd round of the 1974 NBA draft.
In March 1976, Gray, who by then was a SuperSonics co-captain in just his second NBA season, suffered a season-ending knee injury that resulted in surgery.[14]
Gray finished his NBA career playing in 224 games over three seasons averaging 10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.[17]
Honors
In June 1969, Gray was named as one of the Top 100 High School basketball players in the United States for the 1968–1969 season by “Coach and Athlete” magazine.[18]
Despite never playing football in college, Gray was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers as a Tight End in the 15th round of the 1974 NFL draft.[19]
Gray was inducted into the Long Beach State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995.[20]
Personal life
Leonard was the son of Paralee and Leonard Gray, Sr. He had two sons.
