And yet, little by little, the native of Kenosha – a humble town in Wisconsin (very far from the glitter of Hollywood) – was going to make his place next to Shaquille O’Neal, Eddie Jones or another Kobe Bryant. In fact, we often remember this photo that places the four Lakers at the All-Star Game in New York in 1998. Nick Van Exel was then one of the most spectacular point guards in the league. It must be said that with the above-named teammates, he has options to launch the alley-oops… It’s the official return of Showtime!
A cheeky youngster in Los Angeles
But above all, what impresses in the man we now call “Nick The Quick”, it’s his speed of execution and his imagination in free play. The counter-attack is his favorite field because he can give free rein to his sense of improvisation for acrobatic and sometimes downright insane finishes. And then, the kid is not the last to take the winning shot… A sacred character and even sometimes a hothead when he hit a referee in 1996 !
Sometimes cheeky, Nick Van Exel actually feels misunderstood. Nothing has been easy in life for left-handed Nick. Raised by his mother, he had to leave Wisconsin for Texas (at Trinity College, where Shawn Kemp went a few months before him) before completing his university studies in Cincinnati. He will finally be drafted in 37th choice… of the second round in 1993. A sacred blow of bamboo.
Through hard work and perseverance, Nick Van Exel will earn his starting stripes in LA. Not to spoil anything, he puts the Angelino public in his pocket along the way with his vista and his improbable gestures. The parquet magician, with his crossed departures, announces in a certain way the imminent arrival of players of the caliber of Allen Iverson, young nervous people who put their guts on the floor to hold in this league of golgoths.
“When I entered the field, it was my home and I could express my emotions” he explained later at Star Telegram. “But off the court, I’m a super nice guy. I can chat with everyone. I put on a shield to protect myself when I was a player, but I realized as I got older that I didn’t necessarily need it. But I come from the neighborhoods and I was not used to trusting people. »
From luxury joker to assistant
After his period in Los Angeles, Nick Van Exel will wear the tunics of the Nuggets (3 and a half seasons), the Mavericks (1 and a half season), the Warriors, the Blazers and the Spurs (only one season for the last three). Replaced as a luxury substitute in his last years, he made big plays in the playoffs for the Mavs in particular.
His 2003 playoffs (with Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Michael Finley) were among the biggest hits of his career with three monumental outings above 30 points (36 points, 6 assists then 40 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists in the Game 2 and 3 and finally 35 in the 6th inning) to eliminate the Kings of Chris Webber and Mike Bibby after seven games. His 3-point shooting and his skill in general make him one of the best substitutes in the league, a perfect offensive joker off the bench.
Currently an assistant with the Hawks, Nick Van Exel is mostly trying to live with a personal tragedy. His son, Nickey, is effectively incarcerated in Texas after accidentally killing a friend of his. He is currently serving a 60-year prison sentence… A story that inevitably leaves traces.
Eventually, his goal seemed to be the head of an NBA team, but after several positions as an assistant, and only one season at the head of a team in the G-League, he now seems content to remain in the shadows. .
Bonuses: The controversy of Nick Van Exel’s 23 assists, his personal best
Photo rights: DR
| Nick VanExel | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 1993-94 | ALL | 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 | ALL | 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 | ALL | 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 | ALL | 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 | ALL | 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 | DEN | 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 | DEN | 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 | DEN | 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* | DEN | 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 | GOS | 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 | ORP | 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 | SAN | 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 |
| 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 | |
