Big Clifford Ray Saves the Day

This is the true and unusual story of how a tall NBA basketball player helped save an animal's life.

This children's book is a short biography—written as a series of poems—that leads up to one of the most memorable events in Clifford Ray Jr.'s life. The story starts with Clifford as a boy learning to fish, dreaming of the ocean, and falling in love with dolphins and other sea creatures. As Clifford grows, and grows, and grows, he becomes a very good basketball player. He plays basketball for the University of Oklahoma before he is drafted by the Chicago Bulls to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing for the Bulls three years, he moved to California to play for the Golden State Warriors. His exceptionally long arms were perfect for shooting, blocking, and rebounding the basketball and helping the Golden State Warriors win the 1975 NBA Championship. A few years later, his incredibly long arms came in handy again, one extraordinary day in 1978. This is the true and unusual story of how a tall NBA basketball player helped save an animal's life.

Laynie D. Weaver is a technical writer who splits her time between San Clemente, California and Mammoth Lakes, California. She has a Bachelor of Science in Geography from Texas A&M University and a Master's in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Laynie met Clifford Ray while she was researching her first book, A Most Improbable Millionaire. During visits to Florida to work with Clifford on this project, they go bay fishing together. Clifford taught her how to cast an open-faced spinning reel (although she is still not very good at it). When not writing, she can be found hiking, snow skiing, surfing, and reading. Laynie is a long time National Geographic member and advocate for the Pristine Seas Project, which works to preserve and protect the ocean's vital places. Big Clifford Ray Saves the Day is Laynie's first children's book. Her sister, C. Courtney Weaver, is the talented illustrator of this book. Photo credit: Marcus Casian of Casian Photography. www.LaynieDWeaver.com