Clifton Pondexter is an American former professional basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 player.

A 6'9" forward/center

Center (basketball)

The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...

 from Fresno, California

Fresno, California

Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...

, Pondexter played at California State University, Long Beach

California State University, Long Beach

California State University, Long Beach is the second largest campus of the California State University system and the third largest university in the state of California by enrollment...

. At the conclusion of his college career Pondexter was selected by the Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...

 with the sixteenth pick of the 1974 NBA Draft

1974 NBA Draft

The 1974 NBA Draft was the 28th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on May 28, 1974 before the 1974–75 season. In this draft, 18 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...

 and by the San Diego Conquistadors

San Diego Conquistadors

The San Diego Conquistadors, nicknamed the "Q's", were an American Basketball Association team based in San Diego, California. They were the only expansion team in the history of the ABA. The team played from 1972 to 1975. They were replaced in the ABA by the San Diego Sails.-San Diego...

 in the first round of the 1974 ABA Draft. Pondexter's NBA career was delayed by a stress fracture

Stress fracture

A stress fracture is one type of incomplete fracture in bones. It is caused by "unusual or repeated stress" and also heavy continuous weight on the ankle or leg...

 in his leg he suffered in the summer of 1974; he did not make his professional debut until a fall 1975 exhibition game against the Kentucky Colonels

Kentucky Colonels

The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...

.

Between 1975 and 1978, Pondexter played 197 games for the Bulls. His best season was 1975-76, when he averaged 5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He never fully bounced back from his injury, however, and was waived by the Bulls in the summer of 1978. He then took his career to Europe.

Pondexter's nephew, Quincy Pondexter

Quincy Pondexter

Quincy Coe Pondexter is an American basketball player for the New Orleans Hornets. He was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 26th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft and then traded to the New Orleans Hornets....

, was selected by the New Orleans Hornets in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft

2010 NBA Draft

The 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur...

.