Clyde Lee

Clyde Wayne Lee (born March 14, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player who had his most success as an All-American center at Vanderbilt University, where the two-time Southeastern Conference (SEC) Player of the Year was among the most heralded players in school history. He was a consensus second-team All American in 1965, a consensus first-team All-American in 1966, and first-team All-SEC for his three varsity seasons. He averaged 21.4 points and 15.5 rebounds per game during his career at Vanderbilt, leading the SEC in rebounding average all three years and in scoring one year. Lee holds the Vanderbilt record for career scoring average, most career rebounds, and career rebounding average per game.

Lee was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1965 NBA draft and a one-time NBA All-Star. He played ten seasons in the league, principally with the San Francisco/Golden State Warriors. Lee is one of the top rebounders in NBA history. In his ten NBA seasons, he was among the top-10 players in the league in rebounding average four times. He averaged over 10 rebounds per game for his career. Lee is ranked 14th all-time in rebounds per 36 minutes, and 45th all-time in rebounds per game in NBA history (exclusive of ABA statistics, as of 2025–26).

Lee was part of a highly unusual trade made between the Warriors and Atlanta Hawks in February 1970 that included sending Lee to the Hawks if a specific condition was met. The fulfillment of that condition did not occur until late September 1974, nearly four years and eight months later, during which time Lee played four full seasons with the Warriors. In October 1974, over the Warriors' protests, NBA commissioner J. Walter Kennedy required the Warriors to send Lee to the Hawks, completing the February 1970 trade.