Cliff Meely

Cliff Meely (July 10, 1947 – May 29, 2013) was an American basketball player who played five seasons in the National Basketball Association. He played one year at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado, before moving to the University of Colorado Boulder, where he played three years from 1968 to 1971. He was a Big Eight all-conference performer in all three seasons and earned All-American honors as a senior. He remains the Colorado Buffaloes' career leader in points per game and rebounds per game, and is one of only three Colorado basketball players to have his number retired.

Meely was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the 1971 NBA draft. He played five years for the Rockets before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for his final NBA season. His best statistical season was his rookie year, when he averaged 9.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. After leaving the NBA, he played two years in Europe before recurring back spasms forced his retirement. Meely died of a blood infection at a Boulder, Colorado hospital in 2013 at the age of 65.