Byron Houston

{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1969)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Byron Houston

| image =

| width =

| caption =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 5

| weight_lb = 250

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|11|22}}

| birth_place = Watonga, Oklahoma, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| high_school = {{nowrap|Star Spencer (Spencer, Oklahoma)}}

| college = Oklahoma State (1988–1992)

| draft_year = 1992

| draft_round = 1

| draft_pick = 27

| draft_team = Chicago Bulls

| career_start = 1992

| career_end = 2001

| career_number = 21, 35

| career_position = Power forward

| years1 = {{nbay|1992|start}}–{{nbay|1993|end}}

| team1 = Golden State Warriors

| years2 = {{nbay|1994|full=y}}

| team2 = Seattle SuperSonics

| years3 = {{nbay|1995|full=y}}

| team3 = Sacramento Kings

| years4 = 1996–1997

| team4 = León Caja España

| years5 = 1997–1998

| team5 = Quad City Thunder

| years6 = 1998

| team6 = VVS Samara

| years7 = 1998–1999

| team7 = SSA Trefl Sopot

| years8 = 1999

| team8 = Joventut Badalona

| years9 = 1999–2001

| team9 = St. Louis Swarm

| highlights =

• CBA champion (1998)
• 2x IBL champion (2000, 2001)
• CBA Finals MVP (1998)
• Consensus second-team All-American (1992)
• Big Eight Player of the Year (1991)
• 3× First-team All-Big Eight (1990–1992)

| stats_league = NBA

| stat1label = Points

| stat1value = 835 (3.9 ppg)

| stat2label = Rebounds

| stat2value = 648 (3.0 rpg)

| medal_templates =

{{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }}

{{MedalSport | Men's Basketball}}

{{MedalCompetition|Pan American Games}}

{{MedalSilver| Winnipeg 1999 | National team}}

}}

Byron Dwight Houston (born November 22, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'5", 250-pound power forward, he played collegiately for Oklahoma State University and was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the first round (27th pick overall) of the 1992 NBA draft. In an National Basketball Association (NBA) career that lasted four seasons, Houston played for the Golden State Warriors, Seattle SuperSonics and Sacramento Kings. He then played in the PBA{{Cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/blog/archive_2003/blog12.html |title=NBA.com: Blog |website=NBA.com |access-date=2007-06-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070618040645/http://www.nba.com/blog/archive_2003/blog12.html |archive-date=2007-06-18 |url-status=dead }} in 1997. Houston played for the Quad City Thunder of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and was selected as the CBA Finals Most Valuable Player in 1998.{{cite web |title=Byron Houston minor league basketball statistics |url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbasketball/stats/p-houstbyr001 |website=Stats Crew |access-date=September 5, 2021}}

In Game 3 of a 1993-94 playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, Houston was one of the main assignments meant to guard Charles Barkley by coach Don Nelson. Nelson continued to not double team Barkley on his way to a 56-point performance believing Houston (among others) was strong enough to manage the matchup alone.{{cite web| title=BARKLEY DROPS 56 POINTS IN GREAT PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE |url=https://www.nba.com/suns/history/barkley-drops-56-points-great-playoff-performance |website=NBA.com |date=May 4, 2015 |access-date=June 3, 2024}}