The strangest all-stars in Los Angeles Lakers history
By Jason Reed
3. Norm Nixon, Los Angeles Lakers all-star in 1982
Norm Nixon was a two-time champion with the Los Angeles Lakers and was a two-time all-star in his career, also getting the all-star nod with the Los Angeles Clippers in the team’s first-ever season in Los Angeles.
Nixon was great as a combo guard alongside Magic Johnson and put together really impressive averages in his time with the Lakers. Debuting in 1977, Nixon spent six seasons with the Lakers, averaging 16.4 points, 7.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Nixon’s all-star season was not far off from what he was averaging throughout the rest of his career with the Lakers. In 1981-1982, Nixon averaged 17.6 points, 8.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game. At the break, Nixon was averaging 18.2 points, 7.9 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game.
The all-star nod in 1982 was not the strangest part of Nixon’s season, it was how well he was playing in the NBA Playoffs. Nixon averaged 20.4 points, 8.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game during the Lakers’ championship run that season.
That Lakers team featured four Hall of Famers — Magic, Kareem, Wilkes and McAdoo — as well as Lakers greats Michael Cooper and Kurt Rambis. Nixon was the one who lead the team in scoring.