Michael Jordan -- Hoops Camp Prodigy Has Ray J Ties

The kid who shot the lights out in front of Michael Jordan already has celebrity ties -- TMZ Sports has learned Ray J helped put him on the path to NBA success.

His name is Shaun Kowlessar, and at only 9 years old, he was already putting up Jordan-esque numbers while balling for an L.A. traveling AAU team -- a team partially funded by Ray J.

Ray tells us he immediately recognized Shaun's game when he saw video over the weekend of the kid nailing shot after shot at MJ's Flight School. He says Shaun is a trained assassin on the court -- he once scored 44 points in a game -- which is why he didn't freeze up in front of Jordan.

Shaun and Ray also have another tie -- Shaun's dad coached Ray when he was a little kid.