Norm Nixon

Born on October 11, 1955, in Macon, Georgia, Norman Ellard Nixon excelled in athletics from an early age. He was a multi-sport athlete at Southwest High School, earning all-state honors in both basketball and football, and demonstrating talent in track and field. After high school, Nixon attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he played four seasons of basketball. He averaged 17.2 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game, setting a career assists record and earning first-team All-Eastern Eight Conference honors. Duquesne University retired his number 10 jersey in 2001 in recognition of his collegiate career.

Nixon was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 1977 NBA draft. During his six seasons with the Lakers, he became an integral part of the “Showtime” era, contributing to two NBA championships in 1980 and 1982. He led the team in scoring during the 1982 playoffs, averaging 20.4 points per game. In 1983, he was traded to the San Diego Clippers, where he continued to showcase his playmaking abilities, leading the league in total assists with 914 and playing 82 regular-season games in his first year. He earned his second NBA All-Star selection in the 1984-85 season. His NBA career spanned from 1977 to 1989, concluding with a brief stint with Scavolini Pesaro in Italy.

After retiring from professional basketball, Nixon transitioned into a career as a sports agent, representing athletes such as Jalen Rose and Maurice Taylor, as well as entertainers like LL Cool J and TLC. He founded Norm Nixon & Associates and co-founded the Debbie Allen Dance Academy (DADA) in Culver City, California, with his wife, Debbie Allen. Nixon has also worked as a radio commentator for the Clippers and a studio analyst for both KABC-TV and Fox Sports West, providing expert analysis for Lakers games. His son, DeVaughn Nixon, played him in the HBO series “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.”