Clinton Wheeler

Clinton Wheeler ( born October 27, 1959 in Neptune, New Jersey ) is a retired American professional basketball player who played several years in the German Basketball Bundesliga for the giants Bayer Leverkusen after a brief career in the American professional league NBA. With the factory team from Leverkusen Wheeler was German champion in each of his four seasons in the BBL.

Wheeler played during his college days in minimalist Division III NCAA for the Pioneers of William Paterson University in Wayne in his home state. Nevertheless, he was considered in the NBA Draft of an NBA professional club, although there are ten rounds in the draft were in the 80s, so that 223 players in the 1981 Draft were selected. So Wheeler was fired by the Kings again even before the season starts. After Wheeler played for several seasons in the CBA, among others in Albany under coach Phil Jackson and in the 1986/87 season for the thriller from Tampa Bay in Florida, who moved shortly before the play-offs to Rapid City in South Dakota. Wheeler was the third consecutive title for the thriller MVP of the finals series in 1987. During the summer months he also played mostly still for clubs from the USBL and was also able to win the 1987 championship this league so with the Tropics from Miami. 1987 was so far Wheelers hitherto most successful year when it finally worked with a longer-term commitment in the NBA with the Pacers in Indianapolis. Had he previously signed as a free agent in 1984 and 1985 with the New York Knicks contracts, as these had been solved at the latest after four weeks. For the Pacers Wheeler made ​​substitute appearances in the 1987/88 season 59 games with less than 10 minutes average operating time. In 1988, the Charlotte Hornets expansion draft were given the rights to Wheeler, which already before the start of the season he was released again a short time later. Through a commitment to the Denver Nuggets without using Wheeler finally emigrated to the Heat from Miami in December 1988. According eight stakes in four weeks ended, this Treaty. In March / April 1989 Wheeler eventually had 20 bets for the Trail Blazers in Portland. With an age of almost 30 years Wheelers prospects of a longer-term commitment NBA grew less and less, so that after Germany joined the BBL in 1989. Under the new, with 32 years of relatively young head coach Dirk Bauer Leverkusen man was with Wheeler, his compatriot Kannard Johnson and the German national Henning Harnisch and Gunther Behnke as the dominant team in the BBL. As of 1991, met with the international Christian Welp and Michael Koch 's record champion. Three times the double was obtained only in 1992 was winning the cup at TTL Bamberg. Despite the dominance in Germany Leverkusen came in the European Cup of Champions at European level never about the group stage. Wheeler was doing in the European Cup seasons among the top 12 in points and assists, and top 5 in steals per game, respectively. In 1993, Wheeler as well Kannard Johnson the club and returned to his homeland, where he was still active in other seasons in the CBA and USBL. The Hooters of Jacksonville 1994 he became once more master of the USBL.