Orlando Carl Nicks (born October 6, 1958) is an American former

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

(NBA) player.

Amateur career

A 6'1"

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

, Nicks played high school basketball at Englewood High School in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

and then signed to play college basketball at Indiana State. Nicks played sparingly in his first season, averaging 2.2 ppg in 24 games played. In academic trouble with a 1.6 GPA, Bob King, the head coach, recommended that Nicks leave the Sycamores and go to a junior college to work on his academic and basketball skills. He spent the 1977–78 season at Gulf Coast Community College in

Panama City, Florida Panama City is a city in and the county seat of Bay County, Florida, United States. Located along U.S. Route 98 in Florida, U.S. Highway 98 (US 98), it is the largest city between Tallahassee, Florida, Tallahassee and Pensacola, Florida, Pe ...

, where he averaged 22.4 ppg. Nicks credited the experience, stating, "I wanted to play basketball. I respect the game. I know I can play this game. I know I can play this game at the highest level. I knew that. So I went down there and I grinded. I was isolated and it made me grow up." With a 3.5 GPA in hand, a focused Nicks returned to Indiana State, averaging 19.3 ppg, earning the nickname "Mr. Intensity." Nicks combined with teammate

Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend" Bird is widely regarded a ...

in 1978-79, and helped lead Indiana State to the

championship game A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world championships, and ...

in the NCAA tournament, with their only loss coming in the final, with the

Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson List of NBA players who have spent their entire career w ...

led

Michigan State Spartans The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 Varsity team, varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan Army, Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the sc ...

defeating the Sycamores 75–64. In his senior season, Nicks averaged 26.8 ppg, earning honorable mention

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

. Nicks was twice named to the All-

Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the fourth-oldest collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the Midwestern Unite ...

first team (1979, 1980). He was also named to the USA Select Team in 1979 for a tour of the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Professional career

After being selected by 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 Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

with the 23rd overall pick in the

1980 NBA draft The 1980 NBA draft was the 34th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 10, 1980, at the Sheraton Centre Hotel & Towers, before the 1980–81 season. In this draft, 23 NBA teams took turns selectin ...

, Nicks played for Denver, averaging 6.1 ppg in 27 games before being traded to the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

in December 1980. He would finish the season with the Jazz, averaging 6.3 ppg. He would spend the 1981-82 season in Utah, averaging 7.4 ppg in 80 games played. He was released by the Jazz at the end of the season, but signed as a free agent by 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 Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

, playing 9 games for the Cavs in their 1982-83 season before his release, bringing his NBA career to a close. In 156 career NBA games, Nicks averaged 16 minutes, 6.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He spent played for the

Toronto Tornados {{Infobox basketball club , name = Toronto Tornados , color1 = , color2 = , logo = TorontoTornadosLogo.jpg , founded = 1983 , folded = 1985 , league = CBA 1983–1985 , history = , ...

of the

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA), originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association, was a men's professional basketball m ...

(CBA) during the 1983–84 season, averaging 24.3 ppg. Nicks then spent five seasons in Europe, playing initially for

Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne (; Franco-Provençal: ''Sant-Etiève''), also written St. Etienne, is a city and the prefecture of the Loire département, in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regi ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, and then for two years

B.C. Oostende Basketball Club Oostende, for sponsorship reasons Filou Oostende, is a Belgium, Belgian professional basketball team. The club is based in Ostend and was founded in 1970. The club competes domestically in the BNXT League and internationally in t ...

in the Belgian

BNXT League The BNXT League is a professional basketball league in Belgium and the Netherlands. The league is the first tier in both the Dutch and Belgian system, replacing the Dutch Basketball League, DBL and Pro Basketball League, PBL. The inaugural season ...

(1985–1987). Nick then went back to France, playing for Tours B.C from 1987 to 1989 before retiring.

Personal life

After retiring as a player, Nicks coached alongside

Bill Hodges William Oscar Hodges (born March 9, 1943) is an American basketball coach. He was the head basketball coach at Indiana State University from 1978 to 1982, at Georgia College and State University from 1986 to 1991 and at Mercer University from 1 ...

, his former head coach at Indiana State, at

Mercer University Mercer University is a Private university, private Research university, research university in Macon, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the s ...

before moving to

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

in 1998. He was a coach in the Pike Township system and ran a program for at-risk teenagers for

Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital is a hospital part of Indiana University Health, in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the largest hospital in the state of Indiana and one of only four regional Level I Trauma Centers in the state. It has ...

before rejoining former Sycamore teammate and then

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

president Larry Bird with the Pacers as a scout. In 2007, Nicks was inducted into the Indiana State Athletics Hall of Fame and his #22 Sycamores jersey was retired in 2018. He reflected on his experiences at Indiana State, stating, "It all worked out for me. If someone had asked me back then if I would ever think about a jersey retirement, I would ask them if they were crazy. But moving forward, it happened ... and I'm just real grateful about it."

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, 27 , , 0 , , 18.3 , , .436 , , .000 , , .593 , , 1.8 , , 3.0 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 6.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

, 40 , , 0 , , 15.4 , , .510 , , .000 , , .537 , , 1.5 , , 1.7 , , .8 , , .0 , , 6.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 1 , , 16.5 , , .454 , , .000 , , .567 , , 2.0 , , 1.7 , , .8 , , .1 , , 7.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

, 9 , , 2 , , 16.4 , , .441 , , .000 , , .647 , , 2.9 , , 1.2 , , .7 , , .0 , , 7.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 156 , , 3 , , 16.5 , , .462 , , .000 , , .570 , , 1.9 , , 1.6 , , .8 , , .0 , , 6.8

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1976–77 , style="text-align:left;", Indiana State , 24 , , — , , 7.0 , , .370 , , — , , .481 , , 1.1 , , — , , — , , — , , 2.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1978–79 , style="text-align:left;", Indiana State , 34 , , — , , — , , .464 , , — , , .667, , 3.5 , , — , , — , , — , , 19.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1979–80 , style="text-align:left;", Indiana State , 27 , , — , , — , , .441 , , — , , .775 , , 4.2 , , — , , — , , — , , 26.8 , - , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 85 , , — , , — , , .449 , , — , , .714 , , 3.0 , , — , , — , , — , , 16.8

References

External links

Career stats
a
basketball-reference.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicks, Carl 1958 births Living people American basketball scouts American expatriate basketball people in Belgium American expatriate basketball people in Canada American expatriate basketball people in France American men's basketball players Basketball players from Chicago BC Oostende players Billings Volcanos players Cleveland Cavaliers players Denver Nuggets draft picks Denver Nuggets players Englewood Technical Prep Academy alumni Indiana Pacers scouts Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball players Junior college men's basketball players in the United States Point guards Shooting guards Toronto Tornados players Union Tours Basket Métropole players Utah Jazz players Saint-Étienne Basket players