Clinton Wheeler (October 27, 1959 – February 14, 2019) was an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player. He was a 6'1" (185 cm) 185 lb (84 kg) point guard and played collegiately at Division III's
William Paterson University
William Paterson University, officially William Paterson University of New Jersey (WPUNJ), is a public university in Wayne, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education.
Founded in 1855 and was named after American ju ...
. In his brief NBA career from 1987 to 1989, he played for three teams.
Long Branch, New Jersey
Long Branch is a beachside city in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the city's population was 30,719,Kelly Tripucka, Roy Hinson, and Mike O'Koren also played. Wheeler's spectacular plays were memorialized by the PA announcer with "Wow Wheeler!" after an impressive basket.
Wheeler was selected by the Kansas City Kings in the 7th round (12th pick) of the
1981 NBA draft
The 1981 NBA draft was the 35th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 9, 1981, before the 1981–82 season. The draft was broadcast in the United States on the USA Network. In this draft, 23 NBA t ...
. He is ranked eighth on the
Albany Patroons
The Albany Patroons are a professional basketball team that plays in The Basketball League (TBL). Previously, the team competed in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and in the United States Basketball League (USBL). The Patroons won ...
' all-time regular season scoring list. From 1989 to 1993, he played for Bayer Leverkusen in Germany's top flight
Basketball Bundesliga
The Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) (English language: ''Federal Basketball League''), for sponsorship reasons named easyCredit BBL, is the highest level league of professional club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 18 teams. A BBL seaso ...
, where he formed a successful duo with fellow American
Kannard Johnson
Kannard Johnson (born June 24, 1965) is an American retired college and professional basketball player. He was selected by the National Basketball Association's Cleveland Cavaliers with the 41st overall pick (second round) of the 1987 NBA draft. ...
. Wheeler won four German national championship titles with Leverkusen.
He died February 14, 2019, at age 59.