Let’s rewind real quick.
It’s still the start of the 2015-16 season, and the Oakland Golden Grizzlies are taking on the Michigan State Spartans, the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, at The Palace of Auburn Hills on national television. The game comes down to the wire in front of a nearly sold-out crowd.
With the shot clock turned off and the Golden Grizzlies down four, Kay Felder dribbles to the right corner. He hesitates, making the defender jump early before burying a three.
After the Spartans miss at the line, Felder draws a foul on the next possession, sinks two free throws and sends the best team in the country to overtime.
It’s just one of the defining moments of Felder’s career at Oakland, and that career was celebrated Thursday night, Feb. 6, at the OU Credit Union O’Rena.
Felder’s banner was revealed at halftime during the Oakland game against Youngstown State in front of fans, Felder’s former Oakland teammates, and his family and friends.
“They think this is long overdue, but I don’t think so. I think this is perfect timing,” Felder said in a speech during the ceremony.
Felder joins Scott Bittinger, Rawle Marshall, Keith Benson, Travis Bader and Kendrick Nunn as the six men’s basketball players with banners at Oakland’s home court.
Another thing these Oakland basketball legends have in common is that they all have college degrees, which is the one rule head coach Greg Kampe laid out for Golden Grizzlies aspiring to be in the rafters.
Since Felder gave up his eligibility for his senior season at Oakland, opting into the 2016 NBA draft in the process, Felder hadn’t initially ended his career at Oakland with a degree.
However, that didn’t stop Felder from obtaining his college degree following his time on the court for the Golden Grizzlies, making him eligible to be honored.
“Kampe taught me a valuable lesson: once you start something, you finish it,” Felder said. “You don’t halfway do nothing. You do it all the way, and you do it the right way.”
Kampe’s admiration for Felder was evident as he reflected on Felder’s impact on Oakland basketball.
“More than anything in the world, I wanted his name up there,” Kampe said. “I don’t think there’s a guy up there that deserves it more than him.”
Felder collected many accolades during his time at Oakland. In 2014, he earned the Horizon League Freshman of the Year and was named to the Horizon League First Team in the following two seasons.
Additionally, during his junior year, Felder finished the season as the NCAA assist leader, totaling 324 assists on his way to being named the Horizon League Player of the Year award.
From the Oakland record book, Felder ranks in the top 10 in various statistical categories. Most notably, Felder ranks in the top three in total points, assists, and free throws.
After his career at Oakland, the Atlanta Hawks selected Felder with the 54th overall pick in the second round of the 2016 NBA Draft before trading Felder to the Cleveland Cavaliers on draft night, making him the second player from Oakland drafted into the NBA.
Felder’s NBA career lasted just over two seasons, during which he played for the Chicago Bulls, the Detroit Pistons, the Toronto Raptors and their respective G-league affiliated teams.
After being waived by the Raptors 905, the Toronto Raptors G-league affiliate, Felder took his playing career to China. There, he has spent multiple seasons playing for five different teams in the CBA (Chinese Basketball Association), notably winning CBA International MVP in 2022 while on the Shanxi Loongs.
“Whenever I left any court, I wanted y’all to know my name and know who I was because that’s the work I put in every day, night in, night out.”
