Former Dreher star Alex English inducted into High School Hall of Fame
Dreher High School alum Alex English was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame Thursday in Orlando, FL.
English is one of 12 in the 38th class of the NFHS National High School Hall of Fame.
Born and raised in Columbia, English attended Dreher High School from 1968-1972 where he was an All-Region and All-State star athlete, followed by the University of South Carolina where he reigned as the Gamecocks’ No. 2 all-time scorer. English was drafted into the NBA in the second round to the Milwaukee Bucks and went on to play with the Indiana Pacers, but he spent the bulk of his career with the Denver Nuggets, where his career flourished. While in Denver, Alex English quietly assembled one of the most impressive records in NBA history. Known for his smooth shots and low-key demeanor, English became the most explosive member of a high-powered Denver Nuggets team that consistently ranked among the league’s top-scoring clubs.
Named to eight consecutive NBA All-Star teams, English retired from the NBA as its seventh-leading scorer (25,613) and he is enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1997), The South Athletic Hall of Fame and the Gamecock Athletics Hall of Fame (1988). In 1992 the Nuggets retired Alex English’s No. 2 jersey. English set 31 Denver Nuggets’ records in 10 seasons including all-time leading scorer (25,613), assists leader (3,679), games played (837), minutes played (29,839), most points and highest scoring average in a season (2,414, 29.8ppg in 1985-1986). He also was the first player in NBA history to score 2,000 points in eight straight seasons.
In his post-player career, English was named the first director of player programs for the National Basketball Players Association. His duties included overseeing alcohol, drug abuse, HIV/AIDS education, player orientation and career planning programs. He went on to be an assistant coach of the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings. English is currently an ambassador for the NBA and teaches at their many NBA Academies in China, Europe and South America.
Off the court, English garnered attention for his successful philanthropic initiatives and business endeavors. Along with his wife, Vanessa, English successfully owned and operated Wendy’s franchises in Columbia, South Carolina for 16 years and is the current owner and operator of a European Wax Center in the Columbia area. He is an active participant in the SportsUnited Sports Envoy program for the U.S. Department of State, contributing to SportsUnited’s mission to reach out to youth populations in order to promote growth and a stable democratic government. English is also a participant in Basketball Without Borders, traveling the world as an ambassador of the game (North America, Africa, Asia, and Europe).
