{{Short description|American basketball player (1959–2019)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Clinton Wheeler | image = | width = | caption = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1 | weight_lb = 185 | birth_date = {{birth date|1959|10|27}} | birth_place = [[Neptune Township, New Jersey]], U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2019|02|14|1959|10|27}} | death_place = [[Middletown, New Jersey]], U.S. | high_school = [[Long Branch High School|Long Branch]]<br>([[Long Branch, New Jersey]]) | college = [[William Paterson Pioneers men's basketball|William Paterson]] (1977–1981) | draft_year = 1981 | draft_round = 7 | draft_pick = 150 | draft_team = [[Kansas City Kings]] | career_start = 1984 | career_end = 1995 | career_number = 5, 10, 11 | career_position = [[Point guard]] | years1 = 1984–1985 | team1 = [[Albany Patroons]] | years2 = 1985 | team2 = [[Jersey Jammers]] | years3 = 1985–1986 | team3 = Albany Patroons | years4 = 1986–1987 | team4 = [[Rapid City Thrillers|Tampa Bay Thrillers]] | years5 = 1987 | team5 = [[Miami Tropics]] | years6 = {{nbay|1987|full=y}} | team6 = [[Indiana Pacers]] | years7 = 1988 | team7 = Rapid City Thrillers | years8 = {{nbay|1988|start}} | team8 = [[Miami Heat]] | years9 = {{nbay|1988|end}} | team9 = [[Portland Trail Blazers]] | years10 = 1989–1993 | team10 = [[Bayer Giants Leverkusen]] | years11 = 1993–1994 | team11 = [[Rochester Renegade]] | years12 = 1994 | team12 = [[Jacksonville Hooters]] | years13 = 1994–1995 | team13 = Rapid City Thrillers |highlights = * [[CBA champion]] (1987) * [[Continental Basketball Association|CBA]] Playoff/Finals MVP (1987) * 2× All-CBA First Team (1985, 1989) * 4× CBA All-Defensive First Team (1985–1987, 1989) *[[Continental Basketball Association statistical leaders|CBA steals leader]] (1986) }}
'''Clinton Wheeler''' (October 27, 1959 – February 14, 2019) was an American professional [[basketball]] player. He was a {{convert|6|ft|1|in|cm|adj=on}} {{convert|185|lb|kg}} [[point guard]] and played collegiately at [[Division III (NCAA)|Division III]]'s [[William Paterson University]].<ref>[http://www.augsburg.edu/athletics/mbasket/devean.html Augsburg's Devean George in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks!] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911145107/http://www.augsburg.edu/athletics/mbasket/devean.html |date=2007-09-11 }}</ref> In his brief NBA career from 1987 to 1989, he played for three teams.
== Life == Wheeler played high school basketball at [[Long Branch High School]] in [[Long Branch, New Jersey]].<ref>[http://www.basketballreference.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=WHEELCL01 Clinton Wheeler] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090403193239/http://www.basketballreference.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=WHEELCL01 |date=2009-04-03 }}, database Basketball. Accessed October 1, 2007.</ref>
A product of the William Paterson University program where he played four years, Wheeler scored 1,624 points for WP, which put him in third position on the school's all-time list, when he left college in 1981. In the 1979–80 season, he averaged 26.1 points a contest and 22.4 points a game in 1980–81.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wpupioneers.com/sports/2014/10/9/MBB_1009144148.aspx?id=216#c%20pts%20per%20game|title=Men's Basketball All-Team Statistical Records|website=www.wpupioneers.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-25}}</ref>
During the 1980s, Wheeler played frequently in the Jersey Shore Basketball League which was a Pro-Am league that played outdoors at the Headliner in Neptune, NJ. NBA players and NJ residents like [[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]].<ref>[http://www.basketballreference.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1981&lg=N 1981 NBA Draft] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070824180810/http://www.basketballreference.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1981&lg=N |date=2007-08-24 }}, ''basketballreference.com''</ref> Wheeler played in the [[Continental Basketball Association]] for the [[Albany Patroons]] and the [[Rapid City Thrillers|Tampa Bay / Rapid City Thrillers]] from 1984 to 1989.<ref name=sc/> He won a [[CBA champion]]ship with the Thrillers in 1987.<ref>{{cite web |title=1986-87 Tampa Bay/Rapid City Thrillers Statistics |url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbasketball/stats/t-CBATBT/y-1986 |website=Stats Crew |access-date=March 9, 2025}}</ref> He was selected as the CBA Playoff/Finals Most Valuable Player in 1987, and named to the All-CBA First Team in 1986 and 1989 and All-Defensive First Team in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1989.<ref name=sc>{{cite web |title=Clinton Wheeler minor league basketball statistics |url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbasketball/stats/p-wheelcli001 |website=Stats Crew |access-date=February 21, 2025}}</ref> He is ranked eighth on the Albany Patroons' all-time regular season scoring list.<ref>[http://www.albanypats.com/patroons_history.html Albany Patroons History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070917063625/http://www.albanypats.com/patroons_history.html |date=2007-09-17 }}</ref> From 1989 to 1993, he played for [[Bayer Giants Leverkusen|Bayer Leverkusen]] in Germany's top flight [[Basketball Bundesliga]], where he formed a successful duo with fellow American [[Kannard Johnson]]. Wheeler won four German national championship titles with Leverkusen.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.giants-leverkusen.de/index.php/teams/pro-b/news-prob/394-bayer-giants-trauern-um-clinton-wheeler.html|title=BAYER GIANTS trauern um Clinton Wheeler|website=www.giants-leverkusen.de|access-date=2019-05-25}}</ref>
He died February 14, 2019, at age 59.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Edelson|first=Stephen|url=https://www.app.com/story/sports/high-school/basketball/2019/02/21/former-long-branch-star-clinton-wheeler-who-played-nba-passes-away-59/2934030002/|title=Former Long Branch star Clinton Wheeler, who played in NBA, dies at 59|date=February 21, 2019|website=Asbury Park Press|access-date=February 21, 2019}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090403193239/http://www.basketballreference.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=WHEELCL01 NBA stats] @ basketballreference.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wheeler, Clinton}} [[Category:1959 births]] [[Category:2019 deaths]] [[Category:Albany Patroons players]] [[Category:Albuquerque Silvers players]] [[Category:American expatriate basketball people in Germany]] [[Category:American expatriate basketball people in the Philippines]] [[Category:American men's basketball players]] [[Category:Barangay Ginebra San Miguel players]] [[Category:Basketball players from Monmouth County, New Jersey]] [[Category:Bayer Giants Leverkusen players]] [[Category:Charlotte Hornets expansion draft picks]] [[Category:Indiana Pacers players]] [[Category:Kansas City Kings draft picks]] [[Category:Long Branch High School alumni]] [[Category:Miami Heat players]] [[Category:Philippine Basketball Association imports]] [[Category:Point guards]] [[Category:Portland Trail Blazers players]] [[Category:Rapid City Thrillers players]] [[Category:Rochester Renegade players]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Long Branch, New Jersey]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Neptune Township, New Jersey]] [[Category:Tampa Bay Thrillers players]] [[Category:William Paterson Pioneers men's basketball players]] [[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]