Nickey Maxwell Van Exel (born November 27, 1971) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA). Van Exel played for six NBA teams from 1993 through 2006. He was an

NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of al ...

with the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

in 1998. Van Exel played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

Cincinnati Bearcats The Cincinnati Bearcats are the athletic teams that represent the University of Cincinnati. Though they will move to the Big 12 Conference (XII) the teams are currently a part of the American Athletic Conference (The American), which from 1979 ...

, earning third-team All-American honors as a senior in 1993. He was selected by the Lakers in the second round of the

1993 NBA draft The 1993 NBA draft took place on June 30, 1993, at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The draft had some talented players at the top, but injuries and personal problems hurt many of them. Chris Webber, Penny Hardaway, Allan Ho ...

. In his first season, he was named to the

NBA All-Rookie Second Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for playe ...

Early life and education

Van Exel was raised primarily by his mother, Joyce. He attended St. Joseph High School, a private high school in

Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha () is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the seat of Kenosha County. Per the 2020 census, the population was 99,986 which made it the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Kenos ...

. He played from 1987 to 1989 and scored 1,282 points, including 772 as a senior. He led the WISAA (private schools) state tournament in scoring as a junior and senior when his team lost in the finals both years. He was named to the Associated Press all-state team as a senior.

College career

Van Exel wanted to play

, but his grades weren't high enough to qualify for a top-flight program, so he went to junior college at

Trinity Valley Community College Trinity Valley Community College (TVCC) is a public community college based in Athens, Texas. It has four campuses serving five counties across the southeast and eastern parts of the state. About TVCC operates four campuses serving the Texas co ...

for two years. He applied himself to his studies and qualified to enroll at the

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,00 ...

and play for Bearcats coach

Bob Huggins Robert Edward Huggins (born September 21, 1953) is an American college basketball coach. Nicknamed “Huggy Bear,” he is currently the head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team. Huggins previously held the head coach ...

. Prior to Van Exel's arrival, the Bearcats had gone 18–12. In 1991–92, with Van Exel as starting point guard averaging 12.3 points and 2.9 assists per game, the Bearcats went 29–5, won their league tournament, and won four NCAA tournament games to advance to the NCAA Final Four, where they were defeated by

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

and their "Fab Five."http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/cinn/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/1011UCMBKMEDIASUP.pdf In his senior year, Van Exel led Cincinnati with 18.3 points and 4.5 assists per game as the team went 27–5, again won their league tournament, and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight before falling in overtime to

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

. Van Exel earned Third-team

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

honors (AP, ''

Basketball Times ''Basketball Times'' was an American basketball magazine that was in circulation from 1978 to 2021, and was published by Akers Ink LLC. ''Basketball Times'' published monthly and mainly focused on college basketball. The headquarters was in Matthew ...

'' and ''Basketball Weekly'') and was a finalist for the

Wooden Award The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award, and recognizing the ...

for player of the year. In only two seasons, he became Cincinnati's all-time leader in three-point field goals made (147), attempted (411), and percentage (.358). These records have since been surpassed.

Professional career

In a 13-year NBA career, Van Exel played for the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...

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 ...

and

. Van Exel's career began when he was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round as the 37th overall pick of the

. Van Exel and Eddie Jones were the centerpiece of the Lakers' rebuilding plan after the end of their successful Showtime era in the early '90s. Led by Van Exel's flashy play, the two guards helped the team to the playoffs in 1995 after the Lakers had missed the postseason for the first time in years in 1994. Van Exel was known for his shooting streaks, buzzer-beating shots, and speed, earning him the nickname "Nick the Quick". During his career with the Lakers, Van Exel averaged 14.9 points per game as well as 7.3 assists per game, finishing in the top 10 in the NBA in that category twice. In 1996, during a game against the

, he pushed a referee, resulting in an ejection, seven-game suspension, and $187,000 fine. On June 24, 1998, after five seasons as the starting point guard, Van Exel was traded to the Denver Nuggets for

Tony Battie Demetrius Antonio Battie (born February 11, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. He works as an analyst for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). High school and college career Battie attended S ...

and the draft rights to Tyronn Lue. Playing on a Nuggets team which was one of the worst in the league, Van Exel achieved several career highs. Over four seasons he put up averages of 17.7 ppg and 8.4 apg, averaging 21.4 ppg through 45 games of the 2001–02 season. On February 21, 2002, he was traded by the Nuggets along with

Raef LaFrentz Raef Andrew LaFrentz (born May 29, 1976) is an American former professional basketball power forward and center who played for the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, and Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Associati ...

Avery Johnson Avery DeWitt Johnson (born March 25, 1965) is an American basketball television commentator and former player and coach who most recently served as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team. He is currently an NBA and college ...

, and

Tariq Abdul-Wahad Tariq Abdul-Wahad (born Olivier Michael Saint-Jean; November 3, 1974) is a French basketball coach and former player. As Olivier Saint-Jean, he played college basketball at Michigan and San Jose State. In 1997, the Sacramento Kings selected Sain ...

to the Dallas Mavericks for

Juwan Howard Juwan Antonio Howard (born February 7, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player and current head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's team. A one-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA power forward, he began his NBA career ...

Donnell Harvey Donnell Eugene Harvey (born August 26, 1980) is an American retired professional basketball player. He previously played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, and ...

Tim Hardaway Timothy Duane Hardaway Sr. (born September 1, 1966) is an American former professional basketball player. Hardaway played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets a ...

, and a 2002 first-round pick. In Dallas, Van Exel played a smaller role but contributed effectively by creating scoring opportunities and scoring key three-pointers. He averaged 12.5 ppg during the 2002–03 season, and nearly 20 ppg in the 2003 playoffs, carrying the offensive load for the Mavericks in a tight series against the Sacramento Kings, scoring 36 and 40 points in back-to-back wins in games 2 and 3. Van Exel was traded on August 18, 2003 to the Golden State Warriors along with

Evan Eschmeyer Evan Bruce Eschmeyer (born May 30, 1975) is an American retired professional basketball player who was selected by the New Jersey Nets in the second round (34th pick overall) of the 1999 NBA Draft. He spent six years on the Northwestern Univers ...

Popeye Jones Ronald Jerome "Popeye" Jones (born June 17, 1970) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who serves as an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). College career Born in Dresde ...

, and

Antoine Rigaudeau Antoine Roger Rigaudeau (born 17 December 1971) is a French former professional basketball player and professional basketball coach. During his playing days, he played at the point guard, shooting guard, and small forward positions. Also during h ...

in exchange for

Antawn Jamison Antawn Cortez Jamison (; born June 12, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He serves as director of pro personnel for the Washington Wizards. Jamison playe ...

, Chris Mills,

Danny Fortson Daniel Anthony Fortson (born March 27, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. He played the power forward and center position in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1997 to 2007. Early life Although born in Philad ...

, and

Jiří Welsch Jiří Welsch () (born 27 January 1980) is a Czech former professional basketball player for BK Pardubice of the Czech Republic National Basketball League. He has also represented the senior Czech Republic national basketball team. Welsch has ...

. During the 2003–04 season, he played in a career-low 39 games, averaging 12.6 ppg and 5.3 apg. On July 20, 2004, he was traded by Golden State to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Dale Davis and

Dan Dickau Daniel David Dickau (born September 16, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who currently works as an on-air broadcaster for ESPN, the Pac-12 Network, CBS Sports Network and Westwood One. He is also a co-host of the ''Dick ...

. With the Blazers he played in only 53 games, averaging 11 ppg. Van Exel was waived by Portland on August 3, 2005, and he signed with the San Antonio Spurs on August 29. After signing, Van Exel stated that it would be his last season in an NBA uniform. Due to knee and elbow injuries, he only played in 65 games during the 2005–06 season. He averaged career lows in almost every statistical category, including points (5.5 ppg) and minutes (15 mpg). In the playoffs, San Antonio was eliminated by the

in a series that lasted seven games. Two days later, on May 24, 2006,

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

Tony Kornheiser Anthony Irwin Kornheiser (; born July 13, 1948) is an American television sports talk show host and former sportswriter and columnist. Kornheiser is best known for his endeavors in three forms of media: as a writer for ''The Washington Post'' from ...

and

Michael Wilbon Michael Wilbon (; born ) is an American commentator for ESPN and former sportswriter and columnist for ''The Washington Post''. He is an analyst for ESPN and has co-hosted ''Pardon the Interruption'' on ESPN since 2001. Early life and education ...

reported on their show ''

Pardon the Interruption ''Pardon the Interruption'' (abbreviated ''PTI'') is an American sports talk television show that airs weekdays on various ESPN TV channels. It is hosted by Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, who discuss, and frequently argue over, the top storie ...

'' that Van Exel would soon announce his retirement.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

L.A. Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

, 81 , , 80 , , 33.3 , , .394 , , .338 , , .781 , , 2.9 , , 5.8 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 13.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 80 , , 36.8 , , .420 , , .358 , , .783 , , 2.8 , , 8.3 , , 1.2 , , .1 , , 16.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 74 , , 74 , , 34.0 , , .417 , , .357 , , .799 , , 2.4 , , 6.9 , , .9 , , .1 , , 14.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 79 , , 79 , , 37.2 , , .402 , , .378 , , .825 , , 2.9 , , 8.5 , , .9 , , .1 , , 15.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 64 , , 46 , , 32.1 , , .419 , , .389 , , .791 , , 3.0 , , 6.9 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 13.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, 50 , , 50 , , 36.0 , , .398 , , .308 , , .811 , , 2.3 , , 7.4 , , .8 , , .1 , , 16.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 79 , , 79 , , 37.3 , , .390 , , .332 , , .817 , , 3.9 , , 9.0 , , .9 , , .1 , , 16.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 71 , , 70 , , 28.7 , , .414 , , .377 , , .819 , , 3.4 , , 8.5 , , .9 , , .3 , , 17.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 45 , , 44 , , 38.6 , , .408 , , .337 , , .782 , , 3.8 , , 8.1 , , .7 , , .2 , , 21.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, 27 , , 2 , , 28.0 , , .411 , , .347 , , .844 , , 3.1 , , 4.2 , , .5 , , .1 , , 13.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 73 , , 1 , , 27.8 , , .412 , , .378 , , .764 , , 2.8 , , 4.3 , , .6 , , .1 , , 12.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 39 , , 29 , , 32.2 , , .390 , , .307 , , .707 , , 2.7 , , 5.3 , , .5 , , .1 , , 12.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, 53 , , 34 , , 30.5 , , .381 , , .389 , , .784 , , 3.0 , , 4.3 , , .8 , , .0 , , 11.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

, 65 , , 2 , , 15.2 , , .397 , , .357 , , .683 , , 1.4 , , 1.9 , , .2 , , .0 , , 5.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 880 , , 670 , , 32.9 , , .405 , , .357 , , .794 , , 2.9 , , 6.6 , , .8 , , .1 , , 14.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 1 , , 0 , , 20.0 , , .357 , , .167 , , 1.000 , , 3.0 , , 2.0 , , .21 , , .0 , , 13.0

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 10 , , 46.4 , , .414 , , .318 , , .763 , , 3.8 , , 7.3 , , 2.1 , , .3 , , 20.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 4 , , 34.3 , , .296 , , .313 , , .769 , , 4.0 , , 6.8 , , .5 , , .0 , , 11.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 9 , , 9 , , 39.2 , , .378 , , .273 , , .824 , , 3.4 , , 6.4 , , 1.1 , , .0 , , 14.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 13 , , 0 , , 28.2 , , .331 , , .314 , , .725 , , 2.5 , , 4.2 , , .6 , , .1 , , 11.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 8 , , 1 , , 33.0 , , .366 , , .206 , , .667 , , 3.0 , , 3.9 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 11.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 20 , , 3 , , 33.6 , , .460 , , .393 , , .703 , , 3.4 , , 4.1 , , .6 , , .0 , , 19.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 12 , , 0 , , 11.1 , , .219 , , .300 , , 1.000 , , 1.0 , , 1.4 , , .3 , , .2 , , 2.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 76 , , 27 , , 31.4 , , .394 , , .324 , , .753 , , 2.9 , , 4.5 , , .8 , , .1 , , 13.6

Coaching career

Texas Southern University Texas Southern University (Texas Southern or TSU) is a public historically black university in Houston, Texas. The university is one of the largest and most comprehensive historically black college or universities in the USA with nearly 10,000 ...

hired Van Exel as an assistant coach to the Tigers men's basketball team on October 15, 2009. On September 8, 2010, the

hired Van Exel as a player development instructor. Van Exel remained in that position for the 2010–11, 2011–12, and 2012–13 seasons. In 2013–14, he served as an assistant coach for the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

. On July 8, 2015, Van Exel was named head coach of the

Texas Legends The Texas Legends are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Frisco, Texas, and are affiliated with the Dallas Mavericks. The Legends play their home games at the Comerica Center. The team began as the Colorado ...

in the

NBA D-League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA Dev ...

replacing

Eduardo Nájera Eduardo Alonso Nájera Pérez () (born July 11, 1976) is a Mexican former professional basketball player who is currently a scout for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is also a pregame and postgame analyst o ...

On June 8, 2016, Van Exel was hired by the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

to serve as an assistant coach. After two years as a scout with the

, Van Exel returned to the Hawks as an assistant coach on August 25, 2021.

Player highlights

* Van Exel was the last Laker to score in the

Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (late ...

when he nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Lakers the win. * He hit a pair of clutch three-pointers for the Lakers in game 5 of the 1995 Western Conference Semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs. The first one sent the game into overtime, while the second one decided the game. * He recorded a career-high 23 assists on January 5, 1997, against the

Vancouver Grizzlies The Vancouver Grizzlies were a Canadian professional basketball team based in Vancouver. They were part of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team was established in 1995, along w ...

. This record has come under scrutiny when it was admitted by the scorekeeper for the Grizzlies that he intentionally inflated Van Exel's assist total due to the scorekeeper's displeasure with the NBA's scorekeeping system and wanted to prove its inaccuracy. * He finished in the top 15 in assists in eight of 13 seasons. * Coming into the 2005–06 season, Van Exel was first all-time among

in three-point field goals made with 750. Midway through the season, he was surpassed by

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...

. * He twice scored a career single-game high of 44 points, both for the Nuggets—on April 15, 2000 against the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

(along with eight assists) and on November 1, 2001 (again with eight assists) against the

. * Van Exel was famous throughout his playing career for his peculiar free-throw routine, in which he took his free throw attempts while standing well over a foot behind the free-throw line.

Career awards and recognition

* For helping his team reach the Final Four in 1992 and the elite 8 in 1993, Van Exel was honored by the University of Cincinnati as he was inducted into the James P. Kelly Sr. Athletic Hall of Fame * Named an NBA All-Star in 1998, along with three of his Lakers teammates * Member of the 1994 All-Rookie Second Team * Earned third-team All-America honors in 1993

Personal life

Van Exel once appeared on an episode of ''

MTV Cribs ''MTV Cribs'' (also known as ''Cribs'') is an American documentary television show that originated on MTV and features tours of the private homes of celebrities. It originally aired from 2000 to 2010. In 2017, MTV produced short-form episodes o ...

''. On January 31, 2013, Van Exel's 22-year-old son, Nickey Van Exel, was convicted of murdering his friend and sentenced to 60 years in prison. Nickey fatally shot his best friend and dumped his body in Lake Ray Hubbard. This was done in fear that his friend, Bradley Eyo, would tell authorities about a string of robberies the two had committed together.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Exel, Nick 1971 births Living people African-American basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Atlanta Hawks assistant coaches Basketball coaches from Wisconsin Basketball players from Wisconsin Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball players Dallas Mavericks players Dallas Mavericks scouts Denver Nuggets players Golden State Warriors players Los Angeles Lakers draft picks Los Angeles Lakers players Milwaukee Bucks assistant coaches Memphis Grizzlies assistant coaches National Basketball Association All-Stars Point guards Portland Trail Blazers players San Antonio Spurs players Sportspeople from the Chicago metropolitan area Sportspeople from Kenosha, Wisconsin Texas Legends coaches Texas Southern Tigers men's basketball coaches Trinity Valley Cardinals men's basketball players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American sportspeople

Early life and education

College career

Professional career

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Coaching career

Player highlights

Career awards and recognition

Personal life

See also

References

External links