Athlete. A 1992 Bellevue West graduate, Strickland advanced to the NBA after standout high school and collegiate careers in Nebraska. At Bellevue West, Strickland starred in football, basketball and baseball and was the 1992 prep athlete of the year. He earned all-state honors in all three sports and led Bellevue West’s basketball team to three straight state tournaments, including a runner-up finish in 1991. He was a four-year letterman in basketball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, starting for three years. He was the Big Eight Freshman of the Year in 1983 and was three-time All Big-eight defensive team selection. He played professionally for the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Vancouver Grizzlies, Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks.
Demerick (Erick) Montae Strickland (born 25 November 1973 in Opelika, Alabama) is an American professional basketball player formerly in the NBA. Erick starred at Bellevue West High School in Bellevue, Nebraska as an Omaha World-Herald All-State Wide Receiver, and an All-American basketball player where he still holds most of the major school scoring records.
Erick was drafted in the 1992 MLB draft in the 31st round and played in the Florida Marlins organization as an Outfielder. After a college basketball career at the University of Nebraska, he went undrafted, but caught on with the Dallas Mavericks, and went on to play for the New York Knicks, the Vancouver Grizzlies, Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 7.5 points per game throughout his career. In 1999, Erick was voted by Sports Illustrated as the 41st ranked athlete in the 20th Century from the state of Nebraska.
