Andrew Fabian Nicholson (born December 8, 1989) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the

Bay Area Dragons The Bay Area Dragons is a basketball team in the East Asia Super League. Based in Hong Kong, the team is meant to represent Greater China. History The Dragons were originally formed as the Bay Area Chun Yu Phoenixes as a franchise team for the E ...

of the EASL. He played college basketball for

St. Bonaventure University St. Bonaventure University is a private Franciscan university in St. Bonaventure, New York. It has 2,381 undergraduate and graduate students. The Franciscan Brothers established the university in 1858. In athletics, the St. Bonaventure Bonn ...

before being drafted 19th overall in the

2012 NBA draft The 2012 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2012, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (2300 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Asso ...

by the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...

High school career

Nicholson was a late bloomer when it came to basketball; he did not start playing until he was a high school junior, and due to a broken ankle, he missed the entire summer circuit prior to his senior season. For Nicholson, baseball was his first passion but as he grew in size and athleticism, he chose the game of basketball. Nicholson only gained recognition in his senior and 5th year. He was named to the ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...

'' High School All-Stars in 2007 and 2008, and was also named MVP of five different tournaments.

College career

Freshman year

As a freshman at St. Bonaventure in 2008–09, Nicholson earned Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year honours after winning the A-10 Rookie of the Week award a program record six times. He also earned ''CollegeHoopsNet.com'' Freshman All-American team honours. He made 25 starts out of 30 games played and led all freshmen nationally in field goal percentage (.602) and blocks (81). He averaged 12.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in 25.1 minutes per game.

Sophomore year

As a sophomore in 2009–10, Nicholson earned second-team All-Atlantic 10 honours after starting all 30 games and averaging 16.4 points and 7.1 rebounds in 30.2 minutes per game. He ranked 18th nationally, and second in the A-10, in field goal percentage at .564 (198-351), the ninth-best season total in program history. He scored a season-high 29 points on two separate occasions, the first of which came on 11-of-13 shooting from the floor with a career-best 14 rebounds against Norfolk State on November 28; second came at Duquesne on January 23, where he played the full 40 minutes.

Junior year

As a junior in 2010–11, Nicholson was an Atlantic 10 Preseason and All-Defensive first team selection, and went on to earn first-team All-Atlantic 10 and first-team NABC All-District honours. He also earned Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week for the week of December 20 with eventual conference Player of the Year Tu Holloway. He became the 38th player in school history to surpass the 1,000-point barrier with a foul-line jumper in the first half of the Niagara game on December 11, 2010. In 31 games (all starts), he averaged 20.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in 33.8 minutes per game. He scored a career-high 44 points, on 14-of-19 field goals and 16-of-25 from the free throw line, while pulling down 12 rebounds in a four-overtime thriller against Ohio on December 18, the longest game in SBU history.

Senior year

As a senior in 2011–12, Nicholson earned Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honours in addition to All-American Honorable Mention, and first-team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Defensive team honours. He became the seventh player in the 35-year history of the league to earn both Rookie and Player of the Year honours and the first St. Bonaventure Bonnie to earn the top overall award since

Earl Belcher Earl V. Belcher Jr. (born December 15, 1958) is a retired American basketball player who is best known for his collegiate career at St. Bonaventure University between 1977–78 and 1980–81. While playing for the Bonnies, Belcher scored 2,07 ...

won two in a row in 1980 and 1981. He also became the first Player in the history of the league to earn four straight Player of the Week awards. He scored his 2,000th career point and averaged a double-double in the final week of the season, posting 25.5 points and 11.0 rebounds. In 32 games (all starts), he averaged 18.5 points and 8.4 rebounds in 30.1 minutes per game. He finished his four-year career at St. Bonaventure with 2,103 points, 887 rebounds and 244 blocks in 123 games (118 starts).

College statistics

, - , align="left" , 2008–09 , align="left" , St. Bonaventure , 30 , , 25 , , 25.1 , , .602 , , .000 , , .613 , , 6.0 , , .2 , , .6 , , 2.7 , , 12.5 , - , align="left" , 2009–10 , align="left" , St. Bonaventure , 30 , , 30 , , 30.2 , , .564 , , .000 , , .760 , , 7.1 , , .5 , , .2 , , 1.8 , , 16.4 , - , align="left" ,

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

, align="left" , St. Bonaventure , 31 , , 31 , , 33.8 , , .571 , , .261 , , .711 , , 7.3 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 1.5 , , 20.8 , - , align="left" , 2011–12 , align="left" , St. Bonaventure , 32 , , 32 , , 30.1 , , .571 , , .434 , , .776 , , 8.4, , 1.0 , , .7 , , 2.0 , , 18.5 , - , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 123 , , 118 , , 29.9 , , .575 , , .377 , , .720 , , 7.2 , , .7 , , .5 , , 2.0 , , 17.1

Professional career

Orlando Magic (2012–2016)

2012–13 season

On June 28, 2012, Nicholson was selected by the

with the 19th overall pick in the

. On July 3, 2012, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Magic and joined them for the

NBA Summer League The NBA Summer League, also known as the Las Vegas Summer League, is an off-season competition organized by the National Basketball Association. NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regular season line-ups ...

. In his first summer league game, he recorded a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds in a win over the Brooklyn Nets. Nicholson made his regular season debut on November 2, 2012, against the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

, coming off the bench to record 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block in a 102–89 win. He made his first career start on December 21, 2012, against the Toronto Raptors in place of the injured Glen Davis. He finished with 6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in a 93–90 loss. On December 29, he scored a career-high 22 points in a blowout loss to the Toronto Raptors. He recorded his first career double-double in a start against the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

on February 1, 2013, recording 14 points and 10 rebounds in a 97–84 loss. On February 10, 2013, Nicholson was selected to replace the injured Andre Drummond for the Rising Stars Challenge during the

2013 NBA All-Star Weekend The 2013 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 17, 2013, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2012–13 season. It was the 62nd edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at Toyota Ce ...

on February 17 in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

2013–14 season

In July 2013, Nicholson re-joined the Magic for the

2013 NBA Summer League The 2013 NBA Summer League is a pro basketball league run by the NBA just after the 2013 NBA draft. It gives newly drafted players a chance to test their skills against each other, and to give them a feel for professional basketball. All 30 NBA ...

. On October 26, 2013, the Magic exercised their third-year team option on Nicholson's rookie scale contract, extending the contract through the 2014–15 season. He scored in double-figures in 11 of the first 23 games, including three double-doubles. However, following the December 13 game against the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

, Nicholson managed just four more double-figure scoring games and finished the season averaging 5.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.

2014–15 season

On October 26, 2014, the Magic exercised their fourth-year team option on Nicholson's rookie scale contract, extending the contract through the 2015–16 season. Nicholson spent most of the 2014–15 season out of the team's playing rotation. He didn't play in 38 of the Magic's first 56 games even though he was injury free, but playing time increased significantly after the All-Star break. He appeared in 22 of Orlando's final 26 games and averaged 15.1 minutes, 6.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game over that 22-game stretch. Overall, he averaged 4.9 points and 2.1 rebounds in 40 games.

2015–16 season

After appearing in just two of the Magic's first 11 games to start the 2015–16 season, Nicholson began to pick up game time and production from November 18 onwards. On November 23, 2015, Nicholson scored a season-high 18 points and 8 rebounds in a loss to the

. On December 8, 2015, he recorded 8 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in an 85–74 win over the

. After going scoreless in four straight games in mid-January, Nicholson was dropped from the rotation and did not play against the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

on January 20, 2016, his first DNP since November 14, 2015. On March 20, 2016, Nicholson recorded 15 points and 9 rebounds in a 105–100 loss to the Toronto Raptors. Five days later, he scored a then season-high 19 points in a 108–97 loss to the Miami Heat. On March 29, he scored a career-high 24 points on 9-of-9 shooting in a 139–105 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Washington Wizards (2016–2017)

On July 7, 2016, Nicholson signed a four-year, $26 million contract with the Washington Wizards. He made his debut for the Wizards in their season opener on October 27, recording nine points and seven rebounds off the bench in a 114–99 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Brooklyn Nets (2017)

On February 22, 2017, Nicholson was traded, along with Marcus Thornton and a 2017 first round draft pick, to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Bojan Bogdanović and

Chris McCullough Christopher A. McCullough (born February 5, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Formosa Taishin Dreamers of the P. League+. Prior to attending Syracuse University, McCullough went to Salisbury School, Brewster Academy, and ...

. On March 17, 2017, he had a season-high 11 points in 17 minutes off the bench in a 98–95 loss to the

. On July 25, 2017, Nicholson was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for

Allen Crabbe Allen Lester Crabbe III (born April 9, 1992) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the California Golden Bears men's basketball, California Go ...

. On August 30, 2017, he was waived by the Trail Blazers.

Chinese Basketball Association

On September 5, 2017, Nicholson signed with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association. On August 11, 2018, he signed with the Fujian Sturgeons. Nicholson joined Guangzhou Loong Lions for the 2019-20 season, averaging 26.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. On September 25, 2020, he returned to Fujian.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , align="left" , , align="left" , Orlando , 75 , , 28 , , 16.7 , , .527 , , .000 , , .798 , , 3.4 , , .6 , , .3 , , .4 , , 7.8 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Orlando , 76 , , 5 , , 15.4 , , .429 , , .315 , , .825 , , 3.4 , , .3 , , .2 , , .3 , , 5.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Orlando , 40 , , 3 , , 12.3 , , .437 , , .317 , , .600 , , 2.1 , , .6 , , .2 , , .3 , , 4.9 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Orlando , 56 , , 0 , , 14.7 , , .471 , , .360 , , .785 , , 3.6 , , .4 , , .2 , , .4 , , 6.9 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Washington , 28 , , 0 , , 8.3 , , .390 , , .188 , , .583 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , .4 , , .2 , , 2.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Brooklyn , 10 , , 0 , , 11.1 , , .382 , , .182 , , 1.000 , , 2.7 , , .3 , , .5 , , .0 , , 3.0 , -class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 285 , , 36 , , 14.3 , , .467 , , .321 , , .773 , , 3.0 , , .4 , , .3 , , .3 , , 6.0

Personal life

A native of

Mississauga Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...

, Ontario, Nicholson is the son of Fabian and Colmaleen Nicholson, and has an older brother, Gary. Nicholson's family has Jamaican heritage. Nicholson wears size 18 shoes. He has a wingspan and an standing reach, with hands 10 inches in height and 11 inches in width. Nicholson graduated from St. Bonaventure with a degree in physics.

References

External links

St. Bonaventure Bonnies bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholson, Andrew 1989 births Living people Basketball people from Ontario Basketball players at the 2015 Pan American Games Black Canadian basketball players Brooklyn Nets players Canadian men's basketball players Canadian sportspeople of Jamaican descent Expatriate basketball people in China Fujian Sturgeons players Guangdong Southern Tigers players Medalists at the 2015 Pan American Games National Basketball Association players from Canada Orlando Magic draft picks Orlando Magic players Pan American Games medalists in basketball Pan American Games silver medalists for Canada Power forwards (basketball) Sportspeople from Mississauga St. Bonaventure Bonnies men's basketball players Washington Wizards players Canadian expatriate basketball people in the United States Canadian expatriate basketball people in the Philippines Philippine Basketball Association imports Bay Area Dragons players