Getting the Bird: Ray “Juice” Whitley Reflects on Time Playing Against Larry Bird

By Sean Chaffin

It wasn’t the Sweet 16 appearance Ray Whitley was hoping for. His University of Oklahoma Sooners had broken a 30-year drought in 1979 and won the Big 8 basketball title. But the team was on a collision course with history as they faced the No. 1-ranked Indiana State Sycamores, who entered the game 32-0.

One player stood out on that team was none other than NBA Hall of Famer Larry Bird, who averaged 27 points and 13 rebounds per game during the tournament that year. Whitley, nicknamed “Juice” in college, was a 6-foot, 3-inch point guard for the Sooners, who were 21-9. The team certainly wasn’t an elite powerhouse, but upsets are part of March Madness and the squad was looking to pull off a big one. Just maybe a deep run through the tournament was possible.

It wasn’t to be.

“Larry pretty much blew us out of the game,” Whitley told WPT.com. “He’s a tough guy.”

Bird showed no mercy on the Sooners, and no one could guard him. He scored 29 points with 15 rebounds and the Sycamores advanced with a 93-72 victory.

It was a bit surreal for Whitley, who was born and raised in Indianapolis. The Sycamores went on to face Michigan State and Magic Johnson in the NCAA Finals that year. The meeting was the first of many for Bird and Johnson, with the Spartans winning the title 75-64.

Looking back, Whitley sees it as an interesting period in his life as a small part of history in that tournament. He played for the Sooners from 1978-1982 but now finds poker as a way to feed his competitive spirit.

“That’s my claim to fame,” Whitley said. “I played ball at O.U. but ruptured my Achilles tendon my senior year. That pretty much did it for basketball, but I still had that adrenaline so I’ve been playing poker for about 20 years. I love cash games and starting to play a little more tournaments. I’m having some success. I haven’t done anything big, but I love the juice. I love the competitive part of it.”

With just a bit more than $24,000 in live tournament winnings, Juice is now in Day 2 at WPT Choctaw and hoping for a slam dunk score. It would be his second cash if he can get in the money this season. In Season XIV, Whitley finished 43rd in WPT Choctaw for $17,484.

When not playing cards, Whitley works as the director of resource coordination for Oklahoma Gas and Electric and also invests in real estate. Juice, who turns 60 in December, lives in northwest Oklahoma City and has two children and one grandchild. He doesn’t play much basketball anymore but likes to stay active through running and lifting weights.

Whitley also stays involved with the University of Oklahoma, attending football and basketball games supporting the teams.

“We have a big reunion every year where all the former players come back,” Whitley said. “We have a little pickup basketball game and have a big awards banquet. In fact, I think this year Blake Griffin is coming back and they’re going to do a big deal for him. We’re looking forward to that.”

Back in Oklahoma City, Whitley plays cards about twice a week. When he spoke with WPT.com early on during Day 2 on Sunday, Whitley said he was pleased with the progress of his chip stack. He began the day with 150,000, but had moved that up to about 300,000.

“I’m running pretty well right now,” Whitley said. “I’m going to try and keep it going.”

And this time, he doesn’t have to worry about Larry Bird ending his run.

Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas, and host of the True Gambling Stories podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @PokerTraditions.

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