Nic Claxton

Last updated

Nic Claxton
Nicolas Claxton (49165813553) (cropped).jpg
Claxton with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019
No. 33Brooklyn Nets
Position Center
League NBA
Personal information
Born (1999-04-17) April 17, 1999 (age 25)
Greenville, South Carolina, U.S.
NationalityAmerican / U.S. Virgin Islander
Listed height6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High schoolLegacy Charter School
(Greenville, South Carolina)
College Georgia (2017–2019)
NBA draft 2019: 2nd round, 31st overall pick
Selected by the Brooklyn Nets
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019–present Brooklyn Nets
2019–2020 Long Island Nets
Career highlights and awards
  • Second-team All-SEC – Coaches (2019)
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at NBA.com
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at Basketball-Reference.com

Nicolas Devir Claxton (born April 17, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Contents

High school career

Claxton attended Legacy Charter School in Greenville, South Carolina. In his senior season, he averaged 17.4 points,7.8 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game and became the fourth player in school history to record 1,000 career points. [1] [2] Claxton was a three-star recruit and chose to play for Georgia over Baylor, Florida State, NC State, and South Carolina. [3]

Professional career

Brooklyn Nets (2019–present)

Early years and limited role (2019–2021)

On June 20, 2019, Claxton was selected with the 31st overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft by the Brooklyn Nets. [4] On July 7, the Nets announced that they had signed Claxton. [5] He made his NBA debut on November 8, recording eight points and six rebounds in a 119–115 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. [6] Claxton suffered a hamstring injury in January 2020 and was assigned to the Nets' NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, on January 10, 2020. [7] On January 20, he scored a season-high 15 points, alongside four rebounds and two assists, in a 117–111 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. [8] On June 24, the Nets announced that Claxton had undergone successful arthroscopic labrum repair surgery on his left shoulder and was expected to miss the remainder of the 2019–20 season. [9]

Heading to the 2020–21 season the Nets traded center Jarrett Allen to create more minutes for Claxton.[ citation needed ] On May 12, 2021, Claxton scored a season-high 18 points, alongside five rebounds and two blocks, in a 128–116 win over the San Antonio Spurs. [10] During the playoffs, the Nets faced the Boston Celtics in the first round. Claxton made his playoff debut on May 22, recording six points and five rebounds in a 104–93 Game 1 win. [11] The Nets ended up winning the series in five games, [12] but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games during the second round. [13]

Emerging as a defensive star and increase production (2021–present)

In the off-season the Nets traded starting center DeAndre Jordan and named Claxton as their main starting center. On February 2, 2022, Claxton scored a season-high 23 points, alongside eleven rebounds and five blocks, in a 112–101 loss to the Sacramento Kings. [14] In a rematch of last year's series, the Nets faced the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. The Nets were eliminated in four games, with Claxton averaging 10.5 points and 2.3 blocks per game. [15]

On July 7, 2022, Claxton re-signed with the Nets on a two-year, $20 million contract. [16] [17] He was the Nets' starting center entering the 2021–22 season. [18] On January 26, 2023, Claxton scored a career-high 27 points, alongside 13 rebounds and two blocks, in a 130–122 loss to the Detroit Pistons. [19]

National team career

In 2014, Claxton played for the United States Virgin Islands at the Centrobasket Under-15 Championship in Panama City, averaging a double-double of 10.6 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. [20] He made another appearance for the Virgin Islands at the 2015 Centrobasket Under-17 Championship in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he averaged 11 points and eight rebounds per game. [21] Claxton competed at the 2016 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship in Valdivia, Chile. He averaged a team-high 12 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, leading his team to seventh place. [22] [23] In the summer of 2018, Claxton joined the senior Virgin Islands national team at qualifying competition for the 2019 FIBA World Cup. [24]

Claxton is eligible for the U.S. Virgin Islands team because his father, Charles, was born in St. Thomas. [24]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames 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
 * Led the league

NBA

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2019–20 Brooklyn 15012.5.563.143.5242.91.1.1.54.4
2020–21 Brooklyn 32118.6.621.200.4845.2.9.71.36.6
2021–22 Brooklyn 471920.7.674.5815.6.9.51.18.7
2022–23 Brooklyn 767629.9.705*.000.5419.21.9.92.512.6
2023–24 Brooklyn 717129.8.629.200.5519.92.1.62.111.8
Career24116725.5.661.158.5447.81.6.71.810.3

Play-in

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2022 Brooklyn 1028.71.000.1679.01.0.05.013.0
Career1028.71.000.1679.01.0.05.013.0

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2021 Brooklyn 12010.8.483.6672.8.6.31.02.5
2022 Brooklyn 4024.5.792.1826.31.51.32.310.5
2023 Brooklyn 4429.2.720.6008.01.5.31.810.5
Career20417.2.654.3434.51.0.51.45.7

College

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2017–18 Georgia 33514.7.449.364.5233.9.2.21.33.9
2018–19 Georgia 323231.6.460.281.6418.61.81.12.513.0
Career653723.0.457.302.6116.21.0.61.98.4

Personal life

Claxton is the son of Charles Claxton, a U.S. Virgin Islands native who played college basketball for Georgia and was briefly a member of the Boston Celtics in the 1995–96 NBA season. [25] [26] Nic's younger brother, Chase Claxton, plays Division I basketball for the Winthrop Eagles. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ime Udoka</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1977)

Ime Sunday Udoka is a Nigerian-American professional basketball coach and former player, who is the head coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in the United States, he represented the Nigeria national team during his playing career. After retiring as a player, Udoka served as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, and Brooklyn Nets before becoming the head coach of the Boston Celtics, whom he led to the 2022 NBA Finals. After being suspended for the whole 2022–23 season, Udoka was hired by the Rockets in April 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicolas Batum</span> French basketball player (born 1988)

Nicolas Batum is a French professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association. He is also a member of the French national team and earned a silver medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Durant</span> American basketball player (born 1988)

Kevin Wayne Durant, also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history, Durant has won two NBA championships, an NBA Most Valuable Player Award, two Finals MVP Awards, two NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Awards, four NBA scoring titles, the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, been named to ten All-NBA teams, and selected 14 times as an NBA All-Star. In 2021, Durant was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. As a member of the U.S. men's national team, Durant has won three gold medals in the Olympics and is the leading scorer in Team USA's men's Olympic basketball history. He also won gold at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

Charles Claxton Jr. is a former American professional basketball player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aron Baynes</span> Australian basketball player (born 1986)

Aron John Baynes is an Australian professional basketball player who last played for the Brisbane Bullets of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for Washington State University before starting his professional career in Europe. In 2013, he joined the San Antonio Spurs, and a year later, won an NBA championship with the Spurs. He has also played with the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and Toronto Raptors. Baynes also plays for the Australian national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyrie Irving</span> American basketball player (born 1992)

Kyrie Andrew Irving is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named the Rookie of the Year after being selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. An eight-time All-Star and three-time member of the All-NBA Team, he won an NBA championship with the Cavaliers in 2016. Irving is widely considered one of the best ball handlers of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bojan Bogdanović</span> Bosnian basketball player (born 1989)

Bojan Bogdanović is a Croatian professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the Croatian national team internationally. Standing at 2.01 m, he plays the small forward position. He has also played with the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz, and Detroit Pistons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jae Crowder</span> American basketball player (born 1990)

Corey Jae Crowder is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andre Drummond</span> American basketball player (born 1993)

Andre Jamal Drummond is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A center, he was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2012 NBA draft with the ninth overall pick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Bennett (basketball)</span> Canadian basketball player (born 1993)

Anthony Harris Bennett is a Canadian professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. He played college basketball for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). He was the first overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, becoming the first Canadian to be drafted number one overall. He played only four seasons in the NBA, averaging 4.4 points, and is often considered the worst number-one pick in league history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noah Vonleh</span> American basketball player (born 1995)

Noah Vonleh is an American professional basketball player for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Schröder</span> German basketball player (born 1993)

Dennis Schröder is a German professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played for SG Braunschweig and Phantoms Braunschweig in Germany, before spending his first five seasons in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks and two years with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is the sole owner of his German hometown team, Basketball Loewen Braunschweig of the Basketball Bundesliga, and had been the majority shareholder of the team since 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Simmons</span> Australian basketball player (born 1996)

Benjamin David Simmons is an Australian professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for one season with the LSU Tigers, after which he was named a consensus first-team All-American and the USBWA National Freshman of the Year. Simmons was selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. After sitting out a year due to an injured right foot, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2018 and was selected three times to the NBA All-Star Game. As the result of a holdout from the 76ers following the 2020–21 season, which led him to be traded to the Nets, Simmons is the most-fined player in NBA history, in terms of total financial loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taurean Prince</span> American basketball player (born 1994)

Taurean Waller-Prince is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Baylor Bears. He was drafted by the Utah Jazz with the 12th pick in the 2016 NBA draft but was traded to the Atlanta Hawks where he played for three seasons before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets in the 2019 off-season. In January 2021, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and was then traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in August of the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jayson Tatum</span> American basketball player (born 1998)

Jayson Christopher Tatum is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Tatum was a McDonald's All-American in high school in Missouri and played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collin Sexton</span> American basketball player (born 1999)

Collin Darnell Sexton is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide. In January 2017, Sexton was selected as a McDonald's All-American. Nicknamed the "Young Bull", he was selected with the 8th pick in the 2018 NBA draft by the Cavaliers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Okogie</span> Nigerian basketball player (born 1998)

Joshua Aloiye Okogie is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball at Georgia Tech, and was selected 20th overall in the 2018 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He also represents the Nigeria national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Chiozza</span> American basketball player (born 1995)

Christopher Xavier Chiozza is an American professional basketball player for Saski Baskonia of the Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Florida Gators. Chiozza won an NBA championship with the Warriors in 2022.

Kaiser Gates is an American professional basketball player for the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Xavier Musketeers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reggie Perry (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 2000)

Reginald Jordan Perry is an American professional basketball player for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

References

  1. "Nicolas Claxton". University of Georgia Athletics. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  2. Weiszer, Mark (November 1, 2017). "Freshman Nicolas Claxton brings length, versatility to Bulldogs". Athens Banner-Herald . Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  3. Sudge, Brandon (November 14, 2016). "Three-star wing Nicolas Claxton signs with Georgia for 2017". SicEmDawgs. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  4. "Brooklyn Nets Select Nicolas Claxton and Jaylen Hands in 2019 NBA Draft". NBA.com. June 20, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  5. "Brooklyn Nets Sign Nicolas Claxton". NBA.com. July 7, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  6. Friar, Nick (November 9, 2019). "Nic Claxton impressed in NBA debut against Blazers". Nets Wire. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  7. "Nets' Nicolas Claxton: Sent to G League". CBS Sports . January 10, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  8. "Simmons scores 34 in triple-double, carries 76ers past Nets". ESPN. January 20, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  9. "NICOLAS CLAXTON MEDICAL UPDATE". NBA.com. June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  10. "Harden returns to score 18 points, Nets beat Spurs 128-116". ESPN. May 12, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  11. Brooks, Matthew (May 25, 2021). "Nicolas Claxton on Game 1 playoff debut against Boston: 'I was ready'". NetsDaily. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  12. "Nets head to second round, beat Celtics 123-109 in Game 5". ESPN. June 1, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  13. "Bucks edge Nets in OT in Game 7, withstand Durant's 48". ESPN. June 20, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  14. "Kings rally in 4th to hand Nets 6th straight loss, 112-101". ESPN. February 2, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  15. "Celtics complete 4-game sweep of Nets with 116-112 victory". ESPN. April 25, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  16. "Brooklyn Nets Re-sign Nic Claxton". NBA.com. July 7, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  17. "Nets re-sign Nic Claxton to 2-year, $20 million contract: Sources". The Athletic. July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  18. "Nic Claxton starting to be big-impact player for Nets". NY Post. January 7, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  19. "Pistons beat Nets, first win in Brooklyn in almost 5 years". ESPN. January 26, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  20. "Nicolas Claxton's profile - 2014 Centrobasket U15 Championship for Men". FIBA . Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  21. "Nicolas Claxton's profile - 2015 Centrobasket U17 Championship for Men". FIBA . Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  22. "Nicolas Claxton's profile - 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men". FIBA . Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  23. "Nicolas Claxton Player Profile". RealGM . Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  24. 1 2 Hebert, Michael (June 30, 2018). "Georgia basketball's Nicolas Claxton shines for the U.S. Virgin Islands team in qualifying competition for the 2019 FIBA World Cup". The Red & Black . Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  25. Weiszer, Mark (November 14, 2016). "Claxton connection to Georgia continues as Bulldogs land son of former player". Athens Banner-Herald . Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  26. "Charles Claxton". Sports Reference . Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  27. Zietlow, Alex (March 18, 2021). "He has NBA genes. But at Winthrop, Claxton will do what his brother and dad didn't". Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.