Dana Lewis (basketball)

Dana Lewis
Born	(1949-10-16) October 16, 1949 New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player (former)
Years active	1966–1979
Known for	Collegiate basketball at Oral Roberts University and University of Tulsa; drafted 12th overall in 1971 NBA draft by Philadelphia 76ers; professional career in Eastern Basketball Association and Philippine Basketball Association

Dana Lewis (born October 16, 1949) is a former American professional basketball athlete. He competed at the collegiate level for the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles and later for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Although chosen as the 12th overall pick in the 1971 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, Lewis developed his professional career primarily within the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA) and also played in the Philippines.

Early life

In 1966, Lewis relocated with his mother from New York City to Newark, New Jersey, where he enrolled at Weequahic High School. There, he was a teammate of future NBA player Mo Layton on a notably accomplished basketball squad. During the 1966–67 season, Weequahic remained undefeated and successfully defended their Group 4 State Championship title.

Between 1965 and 1967, the Weequahic starting lineup included five players who went on to compete in college basketball, with two reaching the NBA. Alongside Lewis and Layton, teammates Leroy Cobb, George Watson, and Bill Mainor advanced to collegiate programs at institutions such as Southern California and Fordham. Layton later joined NBA teams in Phoenix and Portland following his USC tenure.

Coach Les Fein commended the team not only for their athletic ability but also for their commendable character.

College career

Following high school graduation, Lewis attracted significant recruitment interest but opted to attend Oral Roberts University (ORU) in Tulsa, Oklahoma, influenced by his Pentecostal faith. In his freshman year at ORU, he averaged 16.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Motivated by his mother’s guidance, he initially chose ORU but sought to transfer after one year.

Lewis intended to transfer to the University of Tulsa and required a release from ORU to do so. While awaiting this permission, he undertook manual labor jobs such as hauling hay and construction work and financed his first semester’s tuition at Tulsa independently. Eventually, Oral Roberts personally provided a handwritten release letter.

At Tulsa, under coach Ken Hayes’s leadership, Lewis made significant progress, posting averages of 20.3 points and 11.9 rebounds during the 1969–1970 season and improving to 23.3 points with 13.5 rebounds in 1970–1971. He received the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Newcomer of the Year award in 1970 and earned First-Team All-MVC honors both seasons while leading the conference in scoring during his final year. He also set Tulsa’s single-game rebound record with 26 boards against MacMurray College in 1969.

Across his 52 games at Tulsa, Lewis maintained an overall double-double average of 21.8 points and 12.7 rebounds per contest. After completing his collegiate career, he represented Team USA at the World University Games, where he won a bronze medal alongside teammate George McGinnis.

Professional career

Selected as the 12th overall pick in the first round of the 1971 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, Lewis was also drafted by the Virginia Squires in the same year’s ABA Draft. He signed a six-year contract worth $500,000—mostly guaranteed—with Philadelphia but was released on September 27, 1972, before appearing in an NBA game.

Subsequently, Lewis spent four seasons competing in the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA), playing for the Hartford Capitols from 1971 to 1974 and then for the Cherry Hill Pros during the 1974–1975 season. The Hartford Capitols secured the league championship in the 1973–74 season, with Lewis contributing averages of 12.3 points and an impressive 15.3 rebounds per game; he earned All-EBA Second Team recognition in 1973.

Between 1976 and 1979, Lewis played as an "import" athlete in the Philippine Basketball Association, representing teams including Presto and Great Taste Coffee Makers.

Honors

In 2019, Lewis was honored with induction into the University of Tulsa Athletics Hall of Fame.