Townsend was born and raised in San Jose and was the first Filipino-American to be drafted to the NBA.  He attended Camden and Archbishop Mitty High Schools and averaged 28 points per game as a senior. He was a member of Coach John Wooden’s 1975 UCLA National Championship team, and earned First-Team All-Pac 8 honors as a senior.  He was selected in the first round of the 1978 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors.  Raymond concluded his NBA career as a member of the Indiana Pacers.  As Executive Director of RT Basketball he established youth development basketball leagues dedicated to building self-esteem and confidence, impacting thousands of children in San Jose, the Greater Bay Area, and around the world. Townsend was honored as UCLA Filipino Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 2009.

Raymond Townsend was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.