Where are the Phi Slama Jama Cougars now? Tracking the Cougars

With professions as varied as real estate, broadcasting, coaching and teaching, the former UH players have gone places (some unknown) in their lives after basketball

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Hakeem Olajuwon

"The Dream"

UH (1981-84): Known then as Akeem, Olajuwon was a consensus All-American in 1983-84 after averaging 16.8 points, 13.5 rebounds and 5.6 blocks per game and leading the nation in rebounding and field-goal percentage (67.5 percent). For his career, Olajuwon averaged 13.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.5 blocks.

Post-UH: He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft by the Rockets and spent 17 seasons with them before being traded to Toronto. Olajuwon led the Rockets to the only NBA championships in franchise history (1993-94 and 1994-95), won an MVP, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, was a 12-time all-star, became the first player to record 2,000 blocks and 2,000 steals in a career and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Now: Since retiring after the 2001-02 season, Olajuwon has been involved in real estate locally and has tutored NBA players including Kobe Bryant, Emeka Okafor and most recently Dwight Howard. He maintains homes in Jordan and Houston.

Clyde Drexler

UH's 1982-83 team: Front row, from left, Reid Gettys, Eric Dickens, Alvin Franklin, David Rose, Derek Giles and Renaldo Thomas. Back row, Benny Anders, Gary Orsak, Larry Micheaux, Dan Bunce, Akeem Olajuwon, David Bunce, Clyde Drexler and Michael Young. less UH's 1982-83 team: Front row, from left, Reid Gettys, Eric Dickens, Alvin Franklin, David Rose, Derek Giles and Renaldo Thomas. Back row, Benny Anders, Gary Orsak, Larry Micheaux, Dan Bunce, Akeem Olajuwon, ... more Photo: COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON Photo: COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Where are the Phi Slama Jama Cougars now? 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

“The Glide”

UH (1980-83): Drexler was part of two Final Four teams at UH and was a first-team All-American in 1983. He is the only Cougar to record more than 1,000 points, 900 rebounds, 300 assists and 250 steals. In his three-year career, he averaged 14.4 points per game and 9.9 rebounds and holds the school’s career steals record with 268.

Post-UH: Drexler went on to a Hall of Fame NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers and Rockets. He won an NBA championship after being traded to the Rockets during the 1994-95 season and in 1996 joined Olajuwon in being named one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players of All Time. He also served a stint as the Cougars’ head basketball coach, going 19-39 in two seasons from 1998-2000.

Now: Drexler currently serves as a color analyst for Rockets’ television broadcasts for home games on Fox Sports Houston. He competed on the hit ABC show Dancing with the Stars in 2007.

Michael Young

“The Silent Assassin”

UH (1980-84): Young was the Cougars’ leading scorer (17.3 points per game) as a junior on the original Phi Slama Jama team in 1983. As a senior in 1984, he was a first-team All-Southwest Conference selection after leading the league in scoring (19.8 points per game). He is the only Cougar to start on four NCAA Tournament teams and holds the school record for games and minutes played.

Post-UH: Young was a first-round pick in the 1984 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics and played three seasons in the NBA before going on to compete in the Continental Basketball Association then several European countries. Young played abroad for 14 years and led the French team Limoges to the 1992 European Club Championship. He returned to UH as an assistant coach in 1998.

Now: Young recently completed his 13th season with the Cougars’ basketball program and his seventh as the director of basketball operations. His son, Joseph, is a freshman on the UH basketball team.

Larry Micheaux

“Mr. Mean”

UH (1979-83): Micheaux was an honorable mention All-American in 1983, was named to the NCAA Tournament All-Midwest Regional team in 1982 and 1983 and was All-Southwest Conference in 1983. He averaged 10.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in his career, ranks fourth in school history in career field-goal percentage (58.7 percent) and holds the school record for fouls in a career (340).

Post-UH: Micheaux was drafted in the second round of the 1983 NBA draft by Chicago. He played for three teams (Kansas City, Milwaukee and Houston) over two seasons before going on to play professionally in Europe, spending a year in Italy and nine years in Spain.

Now: Micheaux is a teacher at Stafford High School. He also has coached varsity basketball and runs a summer basketball camp. Two of his children have gone on to play college basketball. His daughter LaToya played at Texas A&M from 2006-09 and ranks fourth all-time in career rebounds, and his son Josh is a junior guard at Georgia State.

Rob Williams

UH (1979-82): Williams was a two-time All-American, topped the Cougars in scoring for three seasons and led the Cougars to the Final Four in 1982. He is fifth all-time in UH history in career points scored (1,838) and eighth all-time in scoring average (21.1 points per game).

Post-UH: Williams was drafted in the first round of the 1982 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets and played two seasons with them, scoring 1,319 points. Williams then played in the CBA and overseas in Italy, Australia, Spain and the Philippines. In 1986, he led Philippine club Tanduay Rhum to a league championship.

Now: Williams’ health declined, and he suffered a stroke in 1998 but lived through it. He currently resides in the Houston area and runs an adult health care facility.

Benny Anders

UH (1981-84): Anders lettered for the Cougars for three seasons and played in 76 games, scoring 327 points in his career. The 6-5 wing primarily came off the bench but was an enigma, known as much for his style and flair as he was for his talent. He quit the team briefly during the 1984 season but returned shortly thereafter.

Post-UH: Anders did not get drafted but moved on to play professionally in South America.

Now: Anders’ current whereabouts are unknown. His former teammates say they have tried to track him down but have had little or no success. “Nobody knows where Benny Anders is,” Michael Young said. “We’ve been trying to find him for years.” Said former Cougar Ken “Juice” Williams: “A friend of mine said he saw him driving a truck and said that he was a truck driver. That was about two years ago.”

Reid Gettys

UH (1981-85): Gettys was the primary distributor for the Cougars, recording 740 assists in his 120 games at UH, an average of 6.2 per game. His career assist total and average are still tops in school history. He also holds the single-season school records for assists (309) and average (8.4 per game) and the single-game school record (17).

Post-UH: Gettys was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the fifth round of the 1985 NBA draft and later went on to play in the CBA.

Now: Gettys recently completed his first season as head coach of The Woodlands Christian varsity basketball team, which won the TAPPS Class 3A state championship on March 5. He also works as an attorney and as a college basketball analyst for ESPN.

Alvin Franklin

UH (1982-86): Franklin scored 1,684 points in his career (eighth in UH history) and also ranks in the top 10 in career field goals made and attempted, free throws made and attempted and assists. He averaged 13.5 points per game in his career.

Post-UH: Franklin was selected in the fourth round of the 1986 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. He played professionally in the CBA and abroad in the Philippines, France and in South America.

Now: Franklin lives and works in the Houston area. He owns a construction company and is involved in home-building and carpeting.