Born February 9, 1968 in Los Angeles, Derek is an American former 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, Derek Strong played in the
NBA for the Washington Bullets, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers. And when he retired, Strong did something that no one else has. He became the first NBA player to successfully transition into NASCAR as a driver.
Now, Derek’s STRONG Racing team is breaking barriers. It’s the first team in NASCAR history to have African-American female owners – Dawn Whitaker and Erica Hill. Hill is also the co-founder of Peace International, a non-profit organization whose primary mission is to build schools in remote areas throughout the world.