With Houston on its All-Star break, Rockets guard Chris Clemons had his jersey retired to the rafters by his alma mater, Campbell University.
Located in Buies Creek, North Carolina, the Fighting Camels honored Clemons with a #ChrisClemonsDay celebration, leading up to his jersey retirement to the arena rafters during a home basketball game.
The 5-foot-9 Clemons was the NCAA’s top scorer in the 2018-19 season at 30.1 points per game and is the third-highest scorer in D1 college basketball history. According to Basketball-Reference, Clemons’ offensive win shares (6.1) ranked second-best among all college players last season, while his player efficiency rating (33.0) was top 10 in the country.
"Thanks to the coaches for pushing me beyond my limits every day…I trusted in them, they trusted in me…its truly a blessing to have them in my corner" – @idropcoldbucks pic.twitter.com/RD4x1x4Vv4
— Campbell Basketball (@GoCamelsMBB) February 16, 2020
Yet, primarily due to his small frame, Clemons was not selected by any team in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Rockets picked him up as an undrafted free agent and he quickly turned heads, averaging a team-best 20.8 points per game in Summer League, including 43.1% on 3-pointers.
“He’s really winning over the veterans,” Rockets GM Daryl Morey said of Clemons last offseason. “He’s got a skill that is already NBA ready in terms of shooting. His attacking the basket is actually very good as well.”
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From there, Clemons got an invite to training camp, and he was successful enough in that setting to earn a Two-Way contract. By late December, with the NBA service days on that deal running out, the Rockets signed the 22-year-old rookie to a standard contract for up to three years.
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In 28 appearances with the Rockets, Clemons is averaging 5.0 points in 8.8 minutes per game. When guards Russell Westbrook and Eric Gordon were each out on Nov. 16 in Minnesota, Clemons scored a career-high 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting (63.6%) — including 5-of-9 (55.6%) on 3-pointers — to help lead Houston to a key win.
In seven games this season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, which serve as Houston’s G League affiliate, Clemons is averaging 24.6 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.4 steals in 32.3 minutes per game.
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