| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1968-02-09)February 9, 1968 (age 57) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Pacific Palisades (Los Angeles, California) |
| College | Xavier (1987–1990) |
| NBA draft | 1990: 2nd round, 47th overall pick |
| Selected by thePhiladelphia 76ers | |
| Playing career | 1990–2003 |
| Position | Power forward |
| Number | 35, 20, 31, 7, 33, 30 |
| Career history | |
| 1990–1991 | Huesca La Magia |
| 1991 | Miami Tropics |
| 1992 | Washington Bullets |
| 1992–1993 | Quad City Thunder |
| 1993–1994 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1994–1995 | Boston Celtics |
| 1995–1996 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1996–2000 | Orlando Magic |
| 2000–2001 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2002–2003 | Columbus Riverdragons |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 3,088 (6.8 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,213 (4.9 rpg) |
| Assists | 291 (0.6 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Derek Lamar Strong (born February 9, 1968) is an American former professionalbasketball player who played in tenNational Basketball Association (NBA) seasons from 1991 to 2001 for six different teams. A 6'8" forward fromXavier University, Strong was selected by thePhiladelphia 76ers in the second round (47th pick overall) of the1990 NBA draft. Strong has successfully transitioned into stock car racing.
Strong played for theWashington Bullets,Milwaukee Bucks,Boston Celtics,Los Angeles Lakers,Orlando Magic andLos Angeles Clippers.
In hisNBA 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.
Strong played for theQuad City Thunder of theContinental Basketball Association (CBA) during the 1992–93 season.[1] He was selected as theCBA Most Valuable Player andNewcomer of the Year, and named to the All-CBA First Team and All-Defensive Team.[1]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–92 | Washington | 1 | 0 | 12.0 | .000 | .000 | .750 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 |
| 1992–93 | Milwaukee | 23 | 0 | 14.7 | .457 | .500 | .800 | 5.0 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 6.8 |
| 1993–94 | Milwaukee | 67 | 11 | 16.9 | .413 | .231 | .772 | 4.2 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 6.6 |
| 1994–95 | Boston | 70 | 24 | 19.2 | .453 | .286 | .820 | 5.4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 6.3 |
| 1995–96 | L.A. Lakers | 63 | 0 | 11.8 | .426 | .111 | .812 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 3.4 |
| 1996–97 | Orlando | 82 | 21 | 24.4 | .447 | .000 | .803 | 6.3 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 8.5 |
| 1997–98 | Orlando | 58 | 8 | 28.2 | .420 | .000 | .781 | 7.4 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 12.7 |
| 1998–99 | Orlando | 44 | 0 | 15.8 | .422 | .000 | .717 | 3.7 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 5.1 |
| 1999–00 | Orlando | 20 | 0 | 7.4 | .438 | .250 | .786 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 2.7 |
| 2000–01 | L.A. Clippers | 28 | 8 | 17.5 | .385 | .000 | .757 | 3.9 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 4.2 |
| Career | 456 | 72 | 18.7 | .430 | .180 | .786 | 4.9 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 6.8 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994–95 | Boston | 4 | 1 | 20.3 | .333 | .000 | .500 | 6.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 2.8 |
| 1996–97 | Orlando | 5 | 5 | 39.0 | .525 | .000 | .760 | 10.0 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 12.2 |
| 1998–99 | Orlando | 1 | 0 | 16.0 | .500 | .000 | 1.000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 |
| Career | 10 | 6 | 29.2 | .481 | .000 | .727 | 7.4 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 7.6 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | Xavier | 30 | - | 22.3 | .569 | .000 | .718 | 7.1 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 10.6 |
| 1988–89 | Xavier | 33 | 31 | 29.8 | .617 | .000 | .817 | 8.0 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 15.3 |
| 1989–90 | Xavier | 33 | 31 | 29.7 | .533 | .000 | .839 | 9.9 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 14.2 |
| Career | 96 | 62 | 27.4 | .573 | .000 | .802 | 8.4 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 13.4 | |
During his tenure in theNBA, Derek was an avidNASCAR fan and remained committed to pursuing this childhood dream when his playing days ended. Strong transitioned into a professional stock car driver and owner ofStrong 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 byStuart Lycett and is based in Los Angeles.[3]
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.[3] 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.[4]