Clyde Lee

Clyde Wayne Lee (born March 14, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player. An All-American at Vanderbilt University, Lee was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1965 NBA draft and was an NBA All-Star, playing ten seasons in the league.

This article is about the basketball player. For the former Houston football coach, see Clyde Lee (American football). For the American newscaster, see Clyde Lee (newscaster).

Clyde Lee
Personal information
Born (1944-03-14) March 14, 1944
Nashville, Tennessee
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High schoolDavid Lipscomb
(Nashville, Tennessee)
CollegeVanderbilt (1963–1966)
NBA draft1966 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the San Francisco Warriors
Playing career1966–1976
PositionPower forward / Center
Number43, 34
Career history
1966–1974San Francisco / Golden State Warriors
1974Atlanta Hawks
1974–1976Philadelphia 76ers
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points5,733 (7.7 ppg)
Rebounds7,626 (10.3 rpg)
Assists788 (1.1 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

College career

A 6'10" forward/center born in Nashville, Tennessee, Lee attended David Lipscomb Campus School (now Lipscomb Academy) and went on to star at Vanderbilt University in the mid-1960s under Coach Roy Skinner.

Lee was known for his rebounding skills and inside scoring prowess. In his junior season (1964–65), he led the Commodores to their first SEC championship (Overall: 24-4, SEC: 15-1), averaging 22.0 points and 15.5 rebounds. He won his first of two consecutive SEC Player of the Year Award.[1] Vanderbilt reached the NCAA Mideast Regional Finals, where they lost to Michigan, 87-85.

The most points ever scored against Kentucky by a Vanderbilt player was the 41 points by Lee in 1965.[2]

During his senior season (1965–66), he averaged 22.7 points and 15.8 rebounds, earning All-American honors and the SEC Player of the Year Award. Sportswriter Howell Pesier described him as "the greatest player in Vanderbilt history".[3]

Lee averaged 21.4 points and 15.5 rebounds over his 79-game Vanderbilt career, leading Vanderbilt to 65 victories in three seasons.[4]


Clyde Lee
1964–1966
Jersey Retired

NBA career

After four years at Vanderbilt, Lee was selected by the San Francisco Warriors with the No. 3 overall pick of the 1966 NBA draft behind Cazzie Russell, No. 1 to the New York Knicks and Dave Bing, Detroit Pistons .

In 1966-1967, Lee and the Warriors made the NBA Finals, where they were defeated 4-2 by Wilt Chamberlain and the Philadelphia 76ers. Lee averaged 6.4 points and 7.2 rebounds in the series.[5]

Lee appeared in the 1968 NBA All-Star Game.[6]

On October 4, 1974 Lee was traded by the San Francisco Warriors to the Atlanta Hawks. He completed a trade from February 2, 1970 that sent a 1970 1st round draft pick (Pete Maravich was later selected) and a player to be named later to the Atlanta Hawks for Zelmo Beaty. Lee was sent to Atlanta as the player to be named later on October 4, 1974.[6]

After only nine games with Atlanta, on November 8, 1974, Lee was traded by the Hawks with a 1975 3rd round draft pick (Jim Baker was later selected) to the Philadelphia 76ers for Tom Van Arsdale. He then concluded his career in Philadelphia, playing his final two seasons.[7]

A strong rebounder and defender, Lee said, “It's what you might consider the dirty work, but that's the way I'm able to play in the league.” He added, “I don't feel that I'm a good shooter, but then again I don't feel I have to score. I don't look for the shot. I try to get an offensive rebound or keep the ball alive. This is my value to the team."[8]

In ten (1966–1976) National Basketball Association seasons, spent with the Warriors (1966-1974), Atlanta Hawks (1974), and Philadelphia 76ers (1974-1976), Lee scored 5,733 points (7.7) with 7,626 (10.3) rebounds in 742 games.[6][7]

Personal

Lee has taught yoga classes at Vanderbilt, after discovering yoga to alleviate pain from basketball injuries.[9]

He has served as a color commentator for radio broadcasts of Vanderbilt men's basketball games.[10]

Honors

In 1966, Vanderbilt designated "Clyde Lee Day" on the occasion of Lee's last career home game.[11]

Lee was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.[12]

in 2008, Lee was named to the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class.[13]

NBA career statistics
Legend
  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

Regular season
Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG STL BLK PPG
1966–67 San Francisco 74 16.9 .408 .633 7.4 1.0 – – 7.0
1967–68 San Francisco 82 32.9 .417 .684 13.9 1.6 – – 11.9
1968–69 San Francisco 65 34.4 .398 .625 13.8 1.3 – – 10.7
1969–70 San Francisco 82 32.2 .440 .593 11.3 1.0 – – 11.0
1970–71 San Francisco 82 17.0 .453 .558 7.0 .8 – – 6.1
1971–72 Golden State 78 34.3 .471 .541 14.5 1.1 – – 8.1
1972–73 Golden State 66 22.4 .466 .565 9.1 .5 – – 6.3
1973–74 Golden State 54 30.4 .454 .579 11.1 1.3 .5 .3 5.9
1974–75 Atlanta 9 19.7 .333 .821 7.8 .9 .1 .4 6.2
1974–75 Philadelphia 71 32.1 .419 .630 9.7 1.4 .4 .2 5.8
1975–76 Philadelphia 79 18.0 .436 .663 5.7 .7 .3 .3 3.9
Career 742 26.8 .432 .614 10.3 1.1 .4 .3 7.7
All-Star 1 18.0 .250 .500 11.0 2.0 – – 6.0

Playoffs
Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG STL BLK PPG
1967 San Francisco 11 11.8 .333 .200 4.9 .7 – – 3.6
1968 San Francisco 10 40.5 .410 .500 13.2 2.2 – – 11.4
1969 San Francisco 6 21.5 .273 .818 7.2 .8 – – 4.5
1971 San Francisco 5 18.6 .417 .500 7.4 .4 – – 4.8
1972 Golden State 5 35.0 .286 .667 12.8 1.4 – – 4.8
1973 Golden State 11 37.5 .466 .656 15.7 1.5 – – 10.6
1976 Philadelphia 3 17.7 .677 .857 5.3 .3 .0 .3 4.7
Career 51 27.4 .397 .586 10.2 1.2 .0 .3 7.1

Notes
  1. "1964-65 Vanderbilt Commodores Roster and Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com.
  2. Logan, Glenn (February 20, 2013). "Pregame: 'Cats vs. 'Dores". A Sea Of Blue.
  3. http://vanderbilt.scout.com/2/501285.html Archived July 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 21, 2006.
  4. "Clyde Lee College Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com.
  5. "1967 NBA Finals - San Francisco Warriors vs. Philadelphia 76ers". Basketball-Reference.com.
  6. "Clyde Lee Stats". Basketball-Reference.com.
  7. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/leecl01.html
  8. Goldaper, Sam (April 22, 1973). "Clyde Lee: The Cleanup Man" – via NYTimes.com.
  9. "Vanderbilt View : East Meets West". Vanderbilt View.
  10. http://www.vanderbilt.edu/News/register/Oct23_00/inbrief.html Archived September 17, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 21, 2006.
  11. "Clyde Lee Day in 1966". Vanderbilt University Athletics.
  12. "Clyde Lee « Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame".
  13. "Vanderbilt Athletics Announces Inaugural Hall of Fame Class". Vanderbilt University. June 26, 2008. Archived from the original on June 28, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2008.
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