Derek Strong

Derek Lamar Strong (born February 9, 1968) is a retired American professional basketball player who played in ten National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons from 1991 to 2001 for six different teams. A 6'8" forward from Xavier University, Strong was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round (47th pick overall) of the 1990 NBA draft. Strong has successfully transitioned into stock car racing.

Derek Strong
Personal information
Born (1968-02-09) February 9, 1968
Los Angeles, California
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High schoolPacific Palisades
(Los Angeles, California)
CollegeXavier (1987–1990)
NBA draft1990 / Round: 2 / Pick: 47th overall
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Playing career1990–2003
PositionPower forward
Number35, 20, 31, 7, 33, 30
Career history
1990–1991Huesca La Magia
1991Miami Tropics
1992Washington Bullets
1992–1993Quad City Thunder
1993–1994Milwaukee Bucks
1994–1995Boston Celtics
1995–1996Los Angeles Lakers
1997–2000Orlando Magic
2000–2001Los Angeles Clippers
2002–2003Columbus Riverdragons
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points3,088 (6.8 ppg)
Rebounds2,213 (4.9 rpg)
Assists291 (0.6 apg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Professional Basketball Career

Strong played for the Washington Bullets, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers.

In his NBA career, Strong played in 456 games and scored a total of 3,088 points. His best year as a professional came during the 1997–98 season as a member of the Magic, appearing in 58 games and averaging 12.7 ppg.

In 1992–93, Strong was named the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) Most Valuable Player, while playing with the Quad City Thunder.[1]

NASCAR career

During his tenure in the NBA, Derek was an avid NASCAR fan and remained committed to pursuing this childhood dream when his playing days ended. Strong transitioned into a professional stock car driver and owner of Strong Racing Team Derek is the first NBA player to successfully transition into stock car racing. Strong Racing is the first team in NASCAR history to have African-American female owners – Dawn Whitaker and Erika Hill.[2] Strong Racing is a Stock Car Racing Team that competes in ASA and NASCAR Racing events. Strong Racing is managed by Stuart Lycett and is based in Los Angeles.[3]

Charities

Strong supports many charities including The Music City Motorsports Institute, a non-profit associated with Strong Racing that seeks to motivate and inspire students to achieve academic success with an educational platform of learning, discovery and fun in the motor sports industry.[4] Co-owner of Strong Racing, Erika Hill is also the co-founder of Peace International, a non-profit organization whose primary mission is to build schools in remote areas throughout the world.[5]

References
  1. "The official site of the NBA". NBA.com. Retrieved 2019-04-25.
  2. "LTTS Exclusive: NBA and NASCAR Legend Derek Strong". Look to the Stars. 2009-04-01. Retrieved 2019-04-25.
  3. http://www.crsportsnews.com/?id=786540&keys=nascar-nba-derek-strong
  4. http://www.crsportsnews.com/?id=786540&keys=nascar-nba-derek-strong
  5. "LTTS Exclusive: NBA and NASCAR Legend Derek Strong". Look to the Stars. 2009-04-01. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.