Education
Born in Vredenburgh, Alabama, John Drew attended J.F. Shields High School in Beatrice, Alabama.
Born in Vredenburgh, Alabama, John Drew attended J.F. Shields High School in Beatrice, Alabama.
A 6"6" guard/forward from Gardner-Webb University, he played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association. Drew was a two-time National Basketball Association All-Star, and was one of the earliest casualties of the drug policy instituted by commissioner David Stern. Following high school he played basketball collegiately at Gardner-Webb University. Selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 7th pick (in the 2nd round) of the 1974 National Basketball Association Draft, Drew quickly made an impact with the club, averaging 18.5 points per game, 10.7 rebounds per game, and leading the National Basketball Association in offensive rebounding during his rookie season (Drew was named to the National Basketball Association All-Rookie Team for his efforts).
From 1974 to 1982, the immensely talented Drew starred for the Hawks, with whom he was a two-time All-Star, averaging more than 20 points per game on five occasions.
After being traded by Atlanta for Dominique Wilkins, Drew played three seasons (1982-1985) with the Utah Jazz, retiring with 15,291 career points. He joined Artis Gilmore and Eddie Lee Wilkins as the only alumni of Gardner-Webb University to play in the National Basketball Association. With Jason Kidd, Drew holds the National Basketball Association record for most turnovers in a regular season game (14).
Drew set that mark with the Hawks in a March 1, 1978 game against New Jersey. Drew"s career came to an end because of his addiction to cocaine.
In the first of what would be many drug-related career setbacks, Drew missed 38 games during the 1983 season while attending drug rehabilitation
He was the first player ever to be banned for life under the National Basketball Association"s drug policy. As of 2002, Drew was living in Houston, Texas, where Charles Barkley had last reported seeing him, and he finally has a grip on his cocaine addiction. He is currently a taxi cab driver in Houston.