Norm Nixon facts for kids
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Nixon in 2014
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 11, 1955 Macon, Georgia, U.S. |
| High school | Southwest (Macon, Georgia) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Duquesne (1973–1977) |
| NBA Draft | 1977 / Round: 1 / Pick: 22nd overall |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Pro career | 1977–1989 |
| Career history | |
| 1977–1983 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1983–1989 | San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers |
| 1989 | Scavolini Pesaro |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 12,065 (15.7 ppg) |
| Assists | 6,386 (8.3 apg) |
| Steals | 1,187 (1.5 spg) |
Norman Ellard Nixon (born October 11, 1955) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He played for famous teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also played for a team in Italy called Scavolini Pesaro. People called him "Stormin' Norman" because of his exciting play. He was chosen as an NBA All-Star two times. Norm Nixon helped the Lakers win two NBA championships in 1980 and 1982. These wins happened at the start of their famous "Showtime" era.
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Early Life and High School Sports
Norm Nixon was born in Macon, Georgia. He was the youngest of three sons. His parents divorced when he was two years old. Norm and his brothers were raised with the help of their grandmother and great-aunt. They grew up in the Methodist church.
Norm was a very talented athlete in high school. He played both basketball and football at Southwest High School in Macon. He was so good that he was named to the all-state team for both sports. In football, he played as a defensive back and tailback. He was even offered a chance to try out for NFL teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys.
In 1973, Norm was the senior class president. He was also chosen as the starting guard on the Georgia All-State basketball team. He led Southwest High School to win the 1973 state high school basketball championship. Norm also ran track. He ran the 440-yard dash and won a regional title in the high jump. He could jump 6 feet, 5 inches high! Besides sports, Norm played the trumpet and worked on the yearbook staff.
College Basketball Career
Norm Nixon played basketball for four years at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. During his college career, he scored 1,805 points. He also made 577 assists in 104 games. He was known for his great passing skills.
In 2001, Duquesne University honored Norm Nixon. They retired his jersey number 10. This means no other player on the team will wear that number again. It's a special way to remember great players.
In 2019, Norm Nixon allowed a young player named Sincere Carry to wear his retired number 10. Sincere wanted to honor a friend who had passed away.
NBA Career Highlights
Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers picked Norm Nixon in the first round of the 1977 NBA draft. He was the 22nd player chosen overall. Norm played for the Lakers for six successful seasons.
In the 1978–79 season, Norm Nixon led the NBA in steals. He had 201 steals that year. The next season, he played the most minutes in the league. He was also third in the league for assists.
In 1979–80, the Lakers had a new rookie player named Magic Johnson. Even though Norm Nixon was already a top point guard, the coach decided to have Magic Johnson play point guard too. For four years, Norm shared play-making duties with Magic. He averaged at least seven assists each season during this time.
Norm Nixon helped the Lakers win two NBA championships. They won in 1980 and 1982. Both times, they beat the Philadelphia 76ers in the finals. In the 1982 playoffs, Norm was the team's top scorer. He averaged 20.4 points per game.
The Lakers lost in the 1983 NBA Finals to the Philadelphia 76ers. In the first game of those finals, Norm Nixon had a hard collision with an opponent. He hurt his shoulder but kept playing in the first two games.
Time with the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers
Before the 1983–84 season, Norm Nixon was traded to the San Diego Clippers. In his first year with the Clippers, Norm led the entire league in total assists. He had 914 assists that season. He also played in all 82 regular season games. He was chosen for the All-Star team again in the 1984–85 season.
After the 1985–86 season, Norm Nixon had several injuries. He missed more than two full seasons because of these injuries. He finally retired at the end of the 1988–89 season. During his time with the Clippers, the team did not make it to the playoffs.
Before his injuries, Norm Nixon was very durable. He played in 715 out of 725 possible games in his first nine seasons.
Career Achievements
During his NBA career, Norm Nixon scored 12,065 points. This is an average of 15.7 points per game. He also had 6,386 assists, which is 8.3 assists per game. He played in 768 games in total.
After Playing Basketball
After retiring from the NBA in 1989, Norm Nixon played briefly for a team in Italy. He also played in some of the NBA's "Legends Classic" games. These games featured former NBA stars during All-Star Weekend.
Norm Nixon later became a sports agent. A sports agent helps athletes manage their careers and sign contracts. He started his own company, Norm Nixon & Associates. He represented many famous athletes and even entertainers.
With his wife, Norm Nixon helped start the Debbie Allen Dance Academy (DADA). This is a school for dance in Culver City, California.
In his retirement, Norm Nixon has also worked in broadcasting. He was a radio commentator for the Clippers for one season. He also worked as an analyst for TV shows about the NBA. He provided expert opinions on games.
Personal Life
Norm Nixon has been married to actress, producer, director, and dancer Debbie Allen since 1984. They have three children together. Their daughter, Vivian Nichole Nixon, became a dancer. Their son, Norman Ellard Nixon Jr., became a basketball player. Norm's son DeVaughn Nixon also became an actor. He played his father in the TV show Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.
Before they were married, Norm Nixon and Debbie Allen appeared in a movie together. It was a 1979 film called The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. Other NBA stars like Julius Erving and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were also in the movie.
NBA Career Statistics
Regular Season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977–78 | L.A. Lakers | 81 | – | 34.3 | .497 | – | .714 | 3.0 | 6.8 | 1.7 | 0.1 | 13.7 |
| 1978–79 | L.A. Lakers | 82 | – | 38.4 | .542 | – | .775 | 2.8 | 9.0 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 17.1 |
| 1979–80† | L.A. Lakers | 82 | – | 39.3* | .516 | .125 | .779 | 2.8 | 7.8 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 17.6 |
| 1980–81 | L.A. Lakers | 79 | – | 37.5 | .476 | .167 | .778 | 2.9 | 8.8 | 1.8 | 0.1 | 17.1 |
| 1981–82† | L.A. Lakers | 82 | 82 | 36.9 | .493 | .250 | .808 | 2.1 | 8.0 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 17.6 |
| 1982–83 | L.A. Lakers | 79 | 79 | 34.3 | .475 | .000 | .744 | 2.6 | 7.2 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 15.1 |
| 1983–84 | San Diego | 82 | 82 | 37.2 | .462 | .239 | .760 | 2.5 | 11.1 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 17.0 |
| 1984–85 | L.A. Clippers | 81 | 81 | 35.7 | .465 | .333 | .780 | 2.7 | 8.8 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 17.2 |
| 1985–86 | L.A. Clippers | 67 | 62 | 31.9 | .438 | .347 | .809 | 2.7 | 8.6 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 14.6 |
| 1988–89 | L.A. Clippers | 53 | 30 | 24.9 | .414 | .276 | .738 | 1.5 | 6.4 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 6.8 |
| Career | 768 | 416 | 35.5 | .483 | .294 | .772 | 2.6 | 8.3 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 15.7 | |
| All-Star | 2 | 0 | 19.0 | .571 | – | .500 | 1.0 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 12.5 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | L.A. Lakers | 3 | – | 30.7 | .458 | – | .667 | 3.0 | 5.3 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 8.0 |
| 1979 | L.A. Lakers | 8 | – | 40.9 | .471 | – | .733 | 3.5 | 11.8 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 15.4 |
| 1980† | L.A. Lakers | 16 | – | 40.5 | .477 | .200 | .804 | 3.5 | 7.8 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 16.9 |
| 1981 | L.A. Lakers | 3 | – | 44.3 | .510 | – | .800 | 3.7 | 8.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 19.3 |
| 1982† | L.A. Lakers | 14 | – | 39.2 | .478 | .333 | .754 | 3.1 | 8.1 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 20.4 |
| 1983 | L.A. Lakers | 14 | – | 38.4 | .477 | .429 | .740 | 3.4 | 6.4 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 19.0 |
| Career | 58 | – | 39.4 | .478 | .333 | .763 | 3.4 | 8.0 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 17.7 | |
See also
- List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders
- List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game
