John Drew

John Edward Drew (September 30, 1954 – April 10, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played eleven seasons in the National Basketball Association as a small forward. Born in Vredenburgh, Alabama, Drew attended J.F. Shields High School in Beatrice, Alabama, where he led the school to a state championship in 1972 and set the Alabama High School Athletic Association career scoring average record at 41.0 points per game.

Drew went on to play college basketball at Gardner–Webb University, averaging 24.4 points as a freshman and improving to 25.9 points and 13 rebounds as a sophomore. He was selected in the second round of the 1974 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks. He was later joined by Artis Gilmore and Eddie Lee Wilkins as the only alumni of Gardner–Webb University to play in the NBA.

Drew made his NBA debut on October 18, 1974, and played for the Atlanta Hawks from 1974 to 1982. He was a two-time NBA All-Star. Drew was the first player banned under the substance abuse policy instituted by league commissioner David Stern. He died on April 10, 2022.