Ron Baker Still Takes His Best Shot

Written by Paige Feikert

Just ten years ago, Ron Baker’s name was regularly chanted by fans at Koch Arena, and across the globe shortly thereafter, but now the former Shocker and professional basketball player is known by a new name: Dad. 

Baker and his wife, Olivia, met at a local yoga studio in 2021, and eventually got married in 2024. They welcomed their first daughter, Scottie, that same year, and just last September the Bakers grew their family once again with the birth of their second daughter, Vivian. 

“Needless to say the last few years have been the fastest years of my life,” Baker said. 

Baker was part of several successful Shocker basketball teams — including the 2013 Final Four team and the 2014 team which set a record with 35 straight wins and the program’s first ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. At Wichita State, Baker became one of the first Shockers in more than three decades to be named first team All-Missouri Valley Conference in three consecutive seasons. He also earned John R. Wooden and “USA Today” All-American honors. 

After a successful basketball career at Wichita State University, Baker joined the NBA, playing three seasons primarily with the New York Knicks. He then played professionally in Moscow for one season. Originally from Scott City — a small town in Western Kansas — Baker said his experiences from moving to Wichita to traveling across the country and the world have shaped his perspectives today.

“Having to adapt and take on some of that adversity as an individual in environments that you weren’t raised in, and facing that adversity has made me a more transparent person, and better understanding of society,” Baker said. “Getting thrown into those situations in the bigger cities definitely made me see things a little differently.” 

‘Everyone wants to remember your key wins and your Final Four and your NBA career, but as I’ve matured as an individual, I’ve learned you want your teammates and coaches to talk highly of you as a person, not only as a player.’ — Ron Baker



After Baker completed his basketball career, he was drawn back to Wichita, a place where many of his friends still live, and his family is only a couple hours drive away. He’s a supporter of all of the major universities in Kansas: the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, and of course, Wichita State University.

“I’ve really supported Kevin Saal (WSU Athletic Director), I enjoy his look on things, he’s very driven and proactive and hopefully that can become sort of contagious. It’s a winning attitude in my eyes, so I want them to do big things and better things,” Baker said. “It is a strange feeling to be a fan of a college that you spent five years playing for — it definitely takes time to watch from a different seat than the bench.” 

Just last August, Baker earned his real estate license in Kansas and joined a brokerage in Western Kansas called Hayden Outdoor. Most of the properties Baker works with are rural, something Baker understands well, as he was raised around farmers and ranchers. In fact, Baker’s grandfather continues to raise cattle in Utica, Kansas today. The work feels deeply personal for Baker. 

“I think this type of real estate really fits my upbringing and my background: 90 percent of our transactions are rural properties, so you’re dealing with farms, ranches, folks who most likely have a farm or livestock background, and that’s kind of what I grew up with in Western Kansas,” Baker said. “They can be generational pieces of property, so you want to make sure [the people buying them] are taken care of.” 

Before making the shift to real estate, Baker worked at Ascension Via Christi. Baker said he has highlights from each of his three distinct careers — those highlights all involving building relationships with people he’s met along the way. 

“Everyone wants to remember your key wins and your Final Four and your NBA career, but as I’ve matured as an individual, I’ve learned you kind of want your teammates and coaches to talk highly of you as a person, not only as a player,” Baker said.