| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1958-10-06)October 6, 1958 (age 67) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Englewood Technical Prep Academy (Chicago, Illinois) |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 1980: 1st round, 23rd overall pick |
| Drafted by | Denver Nuggets |
| Playing career | 1980–1989 |
| Position | Point guard /shooting guard |
| Number | 3, 12, 22, 24 |
| Career history | |
| 1980 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1980–1982 | Utah Jazz |
| 1981–1982 | Billings Volcanos |
| 1983 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1983–1984 | Toronto Tornados |
| 1984–1985 | Saint-Étienne_Basket |
| 1985–1987 | BC Oostende |
| 1987–1989 | ASPO Tours |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Orlando Carl Nicks (born October 6, 1958) is an American formerNational Basketball Association (NBA) player. He playedcollege basketball for theIndiana State Sycamores.
A 6'1"combo guard, Nicks played high school basketball atEnglewood High School inChicago 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 atGulf Coast Community College inPanama City, Florida, 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."[1]
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 teammateLarry Bird in1978-79, and helped lead Indiana State to thechampionship game in theNCAA tournament, with their only loss coming in the final, with theMagic Johnson ledMichigan State Spartans defeating the Sycamores 75–64.[2]
In his senior season, Nicks averaged 26.8 ppg, earning honorable mentionAll-American. Nicks was twice named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team (1979, 1980). He was also named to the USA Select Team in 1979 for a tour of thePeople's Republic of China.[3]
After being selected by theDenver Nuggets with the 23rd overall pick in the1980 NBA draft,[4] Nicks played for Denver, averaging 6.1 ppg in 27 games before being traded to theUtah Jazz in December 1980. He would finish the season with the Jazz, averaging 6.3 ppg. He would spend the1981-82 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 theCleveland Cavaliers, playing 9 games for the Cavs in their1982-83 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.[5]
He spent played for theToronto Tornados of theContinental Basketball Association (CBA) during the 1983–84 season, averaging 24.3 ppg.[6] Nicks then spent five seasons in Europe, playing initially forSaint-Étienne inFrance, and then for two yearsB.C. Oostende in the BelgianBNXT League (1985–1987). Nick then went back to France, playing forTours B.C from 1987 to 1989 before retiring.[6]
After retiring as a player, Nicks coached alongsideBill Hodges, his former head coach at Indiana State, atMercer University before moving toIndianapolis in 1998. He was a coach in the Pike Township system and ran a program for at-risk teenagers forIndiana University Health Methodist Hospital before rejoining former Sycamore teammate and thenIndiana Pacers president Larry Bird with the Pacers as a scout.
In 2007, Nicks was inducted into the Indiana State Athletics Hall of Fame[7] and his #22 Sycamores jersey was retired in 2018.[8] 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."[3]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980–81 | Denver | 27 | 0 | 18.3 | .436 | .000 | .593 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .1 | 6.1 |
| 1980–81 | Utah | 40 | 0 | 15.4 | .510 | .000 | .537 | 1.5 | 1.7 | .8 | .0 | 6.3 |
| 1981–82 | Utah | 80 | 1 | 16.5 | .454 | .000 | .567 | 2.0 | 1.7 | .8 | .1 | 7.4 |
| 1982–83 | Cleveland | 9 | 2 | 16.4 | .441 | .000 | .647 | 2.9 | 1.2 | .7 | .0 | 7.0 |
| Career | 156 | 3 | 16.5 | .462 | .000 | .570 | 1.9 | 1.6 | .8 | .0 | 6.8 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976–77 | Indiana State | 24 | — | 7.0 | .370 | — | .481 | 1.1 | — | — | — | 2.2 |
| 1978–79 | Indiana State | 34 | — | — | .464 | — | .667 | 3.5 | — | — | — | 19.3 |
| 1979–80 | Indiana State | 27 | — | — | .441 | — | .775 | 4.2 | — | — | — | 26.8 |
| Career | 85 | — | — | .449 | — | .714 | 3.0 | — | — | — | 16.8 | |
