Nick Van Exel, The Art of Improvisation
When he arrived in the NBA in 1993. Nick Van Exel (54 years old today) looked too short (1m85) and too thin to make it. Especially among the Los Angeles Lakers, marked by the departure to Magic Johnson in retirement. And yet, little by little, the native of Kenosha – a modest town in Wisconsin (a long way from the glitz of Hollywood) – will find his place alongside Shaquille O’Neal, Eddie Jones and Kobe Bryant.
In fact, we often remember this photo of the four Lakers at the 1998 New York All-Star Game. Nick Van Exel is then one of the most spectacular leaders in the league. It must be said that with the above teammates there are options to launch alley-oops… The official return of Showtime!
A cheeky young man in Los Angeles
But above all, what impresses about the man we now nickname “Nick The Quick“it is his speed of execution and his imagination in free play. Counter-attacking is his favorite area as he can give free rein to his sense of improvisation for acrobatic and sometimes downright crazy finishes. And then, the kid isn’t the last one to take the winning goal… Hellish character, and sometimes even a hot head when he punched the referee in 1996 !
Brash at times, Nick Van Exel actually feels misunderstood. Nothing was easy in life for left-handed Nick. Raised by his mother, he had to leave Wisconsin and go to Texas (to Trinity College, where Sean Kemp went a few months before him) before completing his university studies in Cincinnati. He was finally drafted with the 37th pick… in the second round in 1993. Hell of a move.
Lira >>> The controversy surrounding Nick Van Exel’s 23 assists, his personal best
Through hard work and perseverance, Nick Van Exel will earn his starting stripes in LA. In order not to spoil anything, Angelino puts the audience in his pocket along the way with his look and his incredible gestures. The magician of the floor with his crossing departures in a certain way announces the imminent arrival of players of the caliber of Allen Iverson, nervous little ones who put their guts on the floor to survive in this league of calvary.
“When I entered the field, it was my home and I could express my emotions” he explained later they have Star Telegram. “But off the field, I’m a super nice guy. I can chat with everybody. I put a shield on myself to protect myself when I was a player, but I’ve realized over the years that I don’t necessarily have to. But I come from a neighborhood and I’m not used to trusting people.”
From luxury joker to assistant
After his stint in Los Angeles, Nick Van Exel will wear the jerseys of the Nuggets (three and a half seasons), Mavericks (one and a half seasons), Warriors, Blazers and Spurs (one season only for the last three). Traded as a luxury replacement in his final years, he made big plays in the playoffs especially for the Mavs.
His 2003 playoff run (with Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Michael Finley) is among the greatest of his career with three 30-point outings (36 points, 6 assists, then 40 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists in games 2 and 3 and finally 35 in round 6 and the Sebe King games) to eliminate Chris Bieber.
His 3-point shooting and his skill set in general make him one of the best substitutes in the league, the perfect offensive wildcard off the bench.
After retiring in 2006, Nick Van Exel became an assistant, first with Memphis in the NCAA, then with the Hawks, Bucks, G-League, Grizzlies and Mavericks, before returning to Atlanta in 2021.
Cut by the Hawks after Quin Snyder took over, Nick Van Exel is mostly trying to live with a personal tragedy. His only son, Nicky, is actually imprisoned in Texas after killing one of his friends. He is currently serving a sentence of 60 years in prison… A story that inevitably leaves a mark.
Ultimately, Nick Van Exel’s goal seemed to be to lead an NBA team, but after a slump he graduated from Cincinnati at the start of the school year, he could see himself coaching in the NCAA.
https://vvv.youtube.com/vatch?v=iIOHzrJgipg
Photo rights: DR
| Nick Van Exel | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | The team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | That | Pd | Ft | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 1993-94 | LAL | 81 | 33 | 39.4 | 33.8 | 78.1 | 0.6 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 5.8 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 0.1 | 13.6 |
| 1994-95 | LAL | 80 | 37 | 42.0 | 35.8 | 78.3 | 0.3 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 8.3 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 2.8 | 0.1 | 16.9 |
| 1995-96 | LAL | 74 | 34 | 41.7 | 35.7 | 79.9 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 6.9 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 0.1 | 14.9 |
| 1996-97 | LAL | 79 | 37 | 40.2 | 37.8 | 82.5 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 8.5 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 0.1 | 15.3 |
| 1997-98 | LAL | 64 | 32 | 41.9 | 38.9 | 79.1 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 6.9 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 13.8 |
| 1998-99 | IT | 50 | 36 | 39.8 | 30.8 | 81.1 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 7.4 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 0.1 | 16.5 |
| 1999-00 | IT | 79 | 37 | 39.0 | 33.2 | 81.7 | 0.4 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 9.0 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 2.8 | 0.1 | 16.1 |
| 2000-01 | IT | 71 | 38 | 41.4 | 37.7 | 81.9 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 8.5 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 17.7 |
| 2001-02 * | All teams | 72 | 35 | 40.9 | 34.0 | 80.1 | 0.4 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 6.6 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 18.4 |
| 2001-02 * | IT | 45 | 39 | 40.8 | 33.7 | 78.2 | 0.4 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 8.1 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 21.4 |
| 2001-02 * | DAL | 27 | 28 | 41.1 | 34.7 | 84.4 | 0.3 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 13.2 |
| 2002-03 | DAL | 73 | 28 | 41.2 | 37.8 | 76.4 | 0.5 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 4.3 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 0.1 | 12.5 |
| 2003-04 | Mr | 39 | 32 | 39.0 | 30.7 | 70.7 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 5.3 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 0.1 | 12.6 |
| 2004-05 | BI | 53 | 31 | 38.1 | 38.9 | 78.4 | 0.4 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 11.1 |
| 2005-06 | A DREAM | 65 | 15 | 39.7 | 35.7 | 68.3 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 5.5 |
| In total | 880 | 33 | 40.5 | 35.7 | 79.4 | 0.4 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 6.6 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 0.1 | 14.4 | |
How to read statistics? MJ = matches played; Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive jump; Tot = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; Points = Points.
2025-11-27 17:42:00
