The strangest all-stars in Los Angeles Lakers history
By Jason Reed
2. Nick Van Exel, Los Angeles Lakers all-star in 1998
Nick Van Exel is really similar to Norm Nixon. They were both point guards, they often get forgotten about in Lakers history and they have similar career averages. However, Van Exel was not quite Nixon. Van Exel was a really solid point guard for the Lakers for half a decade, he just played in one of the rare eras where the Lakers did not win a championship.
Van Exel came into the league in 1993 and was named to the All-Rookie Second Team. As a second-round pick, that alone made Van Exel a success in the eyes of the Los Angeles Lakers, but he did not stop there.
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Van Exel spent five seasons in Los Angeles, making the NBA All-Star Game during the 1997-98 season, which was his last with the team. In that season, Van Exel averaged 13.8 points, 6.9 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Not quite all-star numbers compared to today’s age.
Heading into the All-Star Break he was averaging 15.3 points, 7.7 assists and just over one steal per game.
The main reason why Van Exel made the team was because of how good the Los Angeles Lakers were that season. The Lakers were 34-11 at the break and had four all-stars — Van Exel, Eddie Jones, Shaquille O’Neal and the young Kobe Bryant.
Van Exel came into the league just a few years after the Showtime Lakers ended and left the Lakers right before the three-peat Lakers truly took off. Bad timing at its finest. It was the only all-star berth of his career.