Derek Lamar Strong (born February 9, 1968 in Los Angeles, California) is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2nd round (47th overall) of the 1990 NBA Draft. A 6'8" forward from Xavier University, Strong played in 10 NBA seasons from 1991 to 2001 for 6 different teams. He 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.
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.
Since becoming a professional stock car driver and owner of Strong Racing, Derek is the first NBA player to successfully transition into stock car racing.
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.
Famous quotes containing the words derek and/or strong:
“You must understand. Death must come to all. Sooner to some, later to others.”
—Tom Graeff. Derek (David Love)
“A man without a will that’s strong won’t find himself at peace for long.”
—Chinese proverb.
Rhyme.