Jerry West is often regarded as the greatest player in Lakers history, but he reached a new low on Tuesday night.
The “norm nixon net worth” is a question that many people are wondering. Jerry West was able to rid the Lakers of Norm Nixon by sinking to an unthinkable low.
Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy are all associated with the Los Angeles Lakers dynasty of the 1980s. Jamaal Wilkes, Jim Chones, and Norm Nixon all appeared in the early phases of “Showtime.”
Nixon was the ideal on-court counterpart to Magic throughout his six seasons with the Lakers. The backcourt pair won two titles together and were instrumental in the development of LA’s high-powered attack. Jerry West, on the other hand, was not satisfied.
Nixon was mentored by the former Laker for two seasons before becoming the team’s general manager later in the guard’s career. While the results on the court were good, Nixon’s general approach irritated others, particularly West. So, in a frantic attempt to remove the thorny guard off the squad, the Logo pulled out all the stops.
Norm Nixon was a key member of the Showtime Lakers, although he was often at odds with Jerry West.
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Nixon was running the show as LA’s key playmaker when Johnson arrived as the #1 overall choice in 1979. He did it for two seasons under Coach West, who had taken up the job unwillingly a year before Nixon arrived.
Nixon, a 6-foot-2 guard from unknown Duquesne, and his teammates got along like peanut butter and dynamite from the day he arrived at camp.
Former Laker Ron Carter told Jeff Pearlman is a writer who lives in New York City in the book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s that “their relationship was quite adversarial.” “[Norm] was our commander and he had a massive ego. Jerry wanted to be the boss as a coach, and he and Norm clashed on a regular basis.”
“It wasn’t uncommon for Jerry to take a timeout, call a play, and then have Norm adjust it as we walked onto the floor,” Carter said. “Norm was born to defy him.”
When West left and went to the front office in 1979, one of Norm’s difficulties vanished. However, his time as the starting point guard came to an end the moment Magic entered the room and charmed his teammates and coaches.
In Showtime, guard Michael Cooper observed, “Jealousy is horrible.” “And we all knew Norman was envious of everyone.”
Despite being forced to alter guard positions, Nixon flourished beside Johnson. In 37.9 minutes per game, the two-time All-Star averaged 17.4 points and 8.2 assists between 1979 and 1982. He was also a model of consistency, appearing in 243 of 246 regular-season games over the course of those three years.
To get Nixon off the team, West attempted the unimaginable.
Former Laker champions Jerry West and Norm Nixon congratulate Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers. Getty Images/Kevork Djansezian
Despite his victory, Nixon had a falling out with Johnson and Jerry West, who became the Lakers’ general manager in 1982. Even if the Hall of Famer would have preferred to be done with his diva shooting guard right away, LA had just won its second championship in three years.
During the 1982-83 season, however, West decided that the juice was no longer worth the squeeze. Nixon was skilled, but he was also seen as a high-maintenance and narcissistic figure. Not to add the GM’s suspicions that Nixon was a habitual cocaine user.
What happened next was the ultimate betrayal between executive and colleague, as West took a choice that snuffed out whatever respect West and Nixon had for each other (h/t: Showtime).
“West hired a private detective organization to monitor Nixon and write a thorough report on his actions, combining practicality with paranoia.” Nixon had someone following his vehicle, observing his residence, and keeping an eye on his every step during the second half of the season. He said, ‘I had no clue.’ ‘It definitely shocked me when I found out.’
Jeff Pearlman is a writer who lives in New York City
The P.I. ultimately confessed his acts to Nixon after weeks on the top-secret operation. The guard rushed into West’s office the next day, demanding an explanation. Pearlman described the encounter, which was devoid of guilt on West’s part.
“Are you following me?” says the narrator. “Says [Nixon].” “Are you serious?”
[West] said, “You’ve been hanging around with some drug traffickers.” “We also know you use a lot of drugs.”West’s effort to capture Nixon in the act, for what it’s worth, was unsuccessful. It only served to further alienate Nixon, ensuring that his time in Los Angeles was almost done.
Jerry West and the Lakers benefited much from Norm Nixon’s final departure.
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Nixon didn’t last long in Los Angeles, as one would anticipate. After the Lakers were swept by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1983 NBA Finals in four games, West finally had a reason to make adjustments.
Nixon (along with Eddie Jordan and a second-round selection) was traded to the San Diego Clippers on Oct. 10, 1983, in exchange for Swen Nater and the draft rights to youngster Byron Scott. Scott, who stands 6-foot-3, has become the anti-Nixon: a great three-point shooter, a solid defender, and a low-maintenance player.
Scott would become an integral component of the Showtime Lakers for the following ten seasons, capturing three rings with his hometown team. Meanwhile, Nixon put up decent statistics with the Clippers for three years until his career was cut short due to injury.
The change from Norm Nixon to Byron Scott provided LA a chemistry makeover as well as some much-needed youth. However, West’s methods for doing it were heinous to say the least.
Basketball Reference provided all statistics.
RELATED: Jerry West Came Perilously Close to Preventing Showtime and Forever Changing the Los Angeles Lakers’ Future
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Norm Nixon leave the Lakers?
A: Norm Nixon, a player for the Los Angeles Lakers at the time, was having an affair with a woman named Marilyn Monroe. The scandal led to his being traded from the team and later ending up as head coach of the New York Knicks.
Where is Norm Nixon today?
A: Norm Nixon is currently retired from the NFL and lives in California, United States.
How old is Norm Nixon?
A: Norm Nixon is 70 years old.
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