Nick Van Exel facts for kids
Van Exel with the Spurs in 2005
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 27, 1971 Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| High school | St. Joseph (Kenosha, Wisconsin) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 1993 / Round: 2 / Pick: 37th overall |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Pro career | 1993–2006 |
| Coaching career | 2009–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1993–1998 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1998–2002 | Denver Nuggets |
| 2002–2003 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2003–2004 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2004–2005 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2005–2006 | San Antonio Spurs |
| As coach: | |
| 2009–2010 | Texas Southern (assistant) |
| 2013–2014 | Milwaukee Bucks (assistant) |
| 2014–2015 | Texas Legends (assistant) |
| 2015–2016 | Texas Legends |
| 2016–2019 | Memphis Grizzlies (assistant) |
| 2021–2023 | Atlanta Hawks (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 12,658 (14.4 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,545 (2.9 rpg) |
| Assists | 5,777 (6.6 apg) |
Nickey Maxwell Van Exel (born November 27, 1971) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He played for six NBA teams from 1993 to 2006. He was an NBA All-Star with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1998.
Van Exel played college basketball for the Cincinnati Bearcats. He earned third-team All-American honors in 1993. The Los Angeles Lakers picked him in the 1993 NBA draft. In his first season, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
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Growing Up and School
Nick Van Exel was mostly raised by his mother, Joyce. He went to St. Joseph High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He played basketball there from 1987 to 1989. He scored 1,282 points in total. As a senior, he scored 772 points.
He led the state tournament in scoring as a junior and senior. His team reached the finals both years. He was also named to the Associated Press all-state team.
College Basketball Journey
Van Exel wanted to play college basketball. His grades were not high enough for a top program at first. So, he attended Trinity Valley Community College for two years. He worked hard on his studies there. This allowed him to join the University of Cincinnati. He played for the Bearcats coach Bob Huggins.
Before Van Exel joined, the Bearcats had an 18–12 record. In the 1991–92 season, Van Exel was the starting point guard. He averaged 12.3 points and 2.9 assists per game. The Bearcats finished with a 29–5 record. They won their league tournament. They also reached the NCAA Final Four. They were defeated by Michigan.
In his final year, Van Exel led Cincinnati with 18.3 points and 4.5 assists per game. The team went 27–5. They won their league tournament again. They made it to the NCAA Elite Eight. They lost to North Carolina in overtime. Van Exel earned Third-team All-America honors. He was also a finalist for the Wooden Award. He was inducted into the University of Cincinnati Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2023.
Playing in the NBA
Nick Van Exel played for 13 seasons in the NBA. He played for the San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers drafted Van Exel in 1993. He was the 37th pick overall. Van Exel and Eddie Jones were key players for the Lakers. They helped the team reach the playoffs in 1995. This was after the Lakers had missed the postseason for the first time in years. Van Exel was known for his quickness and exciting plays. He earned the nickname "Nick the Quick." He was also known for hitting shots at the last second.
During his time with the Lakers, Van Exel averaged 14.9 points and 7.3 assists per game. He was among the top 10 in the NBA for assists twice. In 1998, he was traded to the Denver Nuggets. He played four seasons with the Nuggets. He averaged 17.7 points and 8.4 assists per game. In the 2001–02 season, he averaged 21.4 points per game.
In 2002, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. With the Mavericks, Van Exel played a smaller but important role. He helped create scoring chances. He also made key three-point shots. He averaged 12.5 points per game in the 2002–03 season. In the 2003 playoffs, he scored nearly 20 points per game. He had big games against the Sacramento Kings, scoring 36 and 40 points in back-to-back wins.
After Dallas, Van Exel played for the Golden State Warriors in 2003–04. He then joined the Portland Trail Blazers in 2004–05. He played his last season with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005–06. He announced that this would be his final season. He played in 65 games due to injuries. He averaged 5.5 points per game. The Spurs were eliminated in the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks. Van Exel retired from playing basketball after that season.
NBA Career Highlights
- Van Exel was the last Laker to score in the Boston Garden. He made a three-pointer at the buzzer to win the game.
- He made two important three-pointers for the Lakers in the 1995 playoffs. One sent the game into overtime, and the other won the game.
- He finished in the top 15 in assists in eight of his 13 seasons.
- He once recorded 23 assists in a single game against the Vancouver Grizzlies in 1997.
- He was the all-time leader for the Los Angeles Lakers in three-point field goals made with 750. Kobe Bryant later passed this record.
- He scored a career-high 44 points twice while playing for the Nuggets.
- Van Exel was known for his unique free-throw routine. He stood well behind the free-throw line when shooting.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Nick Van Exel became a coach.
- From 2009 to 2010, he was an assistant coach for the Texas Southern Tigers.
- From 2010 to 2013, he worked for the Atlanta Hawks as a player development instructor.
- In 2013–14, he was an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks.
- In 2015, Van Exel became the head coach of the Texas Legends in the NBA D-League.
- From 2016 to 2018, he was an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies.
- After working as a scout for the Dallas Mavericks, he returned to the Atlanta Hawks as an assistant coach from 2021 to 2022.
Awards and Recognition
- Inducted into the James P. Kelly Sr. Athletic Hall of Fame at the University of Cincinnati. This was for helping his team reach the Final Four in 1992 and the Elite Eight in 1993.
- Named an NBA All-Star in 1998.
- Member of the 1994 All-Rookie Second Team.
- Earned third-team All-America honors in 1993.
See also
In Spanish: Nick Van Exel para niños
- List of NBA career assists leaders
- List of NBA career 3-point scoring leaders
- List of NBA single-game assists leaders
