The hype surrounding HBO’s “Winning Time” is understandable. The embellishment, however, is at times astonishing. A major constituent during that period was Los Angeles Lakers All-Star guard Norm Nixon. He could flat-out ball. In addition, he was unflappable, cocky, confident, respected and revered by his veteran teammates from the inception of his professional career. If the actor portraying him bears a striking resemblance, there’s nothing distorted regarding your vision. It’s Norman’s son, DeVaughn Nixon. His presence serves two major functions: (1) He’s the mirror image of his father, (2) When warranted he also keeps the HBO writers in check (alerting them when the exaggeration of his “Pop’s” exploits rises to intolerable levels)
THE STREAK
Norm Nixon was undeniably, amongst many NBA players, the league’s leading man. In the locker room he was dubbed “Mr. Big” (for his ego/team leadership skills in spite of being the smallest player on the roster) and “Savoir Faire” (for his swag). For nearly two seasons, years prior to his marriage to actress Debbie Allen, he maintained a “record“ of sleeping with a different woman on nearly every Lakers road trip. This was confirmed by a myriad of his teammates, coaches, and
sportswriters (some whom I know personally) linked to the franchise. In the midst of the peak of his “conquests”, along came a rookie who had a sexual appetite (and basketball skills) which surpassed even his own: Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
It will be interesting to see where the storyline goes in upcoming episodes. When one examines the chronicles of Lakers basketball history, there is no need for exaggeration to compel audiences. Characters and strong personalities have come in the form of: owners (Bob Short, Jack Kent Cooke, Jerry Buss), coaches (Butch van Breda Kolff, Bill Sharman, Phil Jackson), players (Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic).
With Hall of Famer Spencer Haywood’s well-documented use/abuse of “freebased” cocaine (and suspension) prior to winning the 1980 NBA title, the drama—and the hyperbole—is bound to mushroom.
“BIG v. BUCK”
Competition is natural and can be healthy when channeled properly. When it came down to Nixon (“Mr. Big”) and Magic (“Buck”), things were often out of control. Prior to Johnson’s
arrival, Nixon was the starting point guard of the Lakers. Magic “muddied” the waters—so to speak—with his stellar play as a rookie in training camp. So much so, that coach Jack McKinney said, “guess we have two point guards”. In the annals of NBA history, who in their right mind ever heard of a 6’9″ point guard? Nixon went along begrudgingly, often at the shooting guard position, and on the court, surprisingly, “Showtime” was a sight to behold. Nevertheless, in spite of winning two NBA championships (’80 and ’82) in four seasons as a tandem, discord was always present just below the surface. According to fellow teammate and third guard Michael Cooper, Nixon was quite jealous of Magic.
“The friction between Earvin and Norman went way beyond basketball,” said Cooper, who was close with both guards. “The situation went to the party life. They were [sleeping with] the same girls. That was a problem. Dr. Buss was best friends with Hugh Hefner, and the [Playboy Mansion] door was open to Magic. And [for] Norm, being known, until then, as a number one available bachelor in Los Angeles, as a swinging guy who liked everything, it was awkward.“ [1]
Contrary to popular belief, the moniker “Buck”, was bestowed upon Magic not because of his youth. That was the company-line for years (“Oh, he’s the ‘Young Buck'”). No, his
teammates chose that name due to the fact that Johnson liked to “get with” any and every beautiful groupie within reach, and often several at a time! According to one teammate, they considered Johnson to be “a whore” (“The media never got [that name] right”). [1]
Sharing the basketball is one thing. Staking claims over competition for endorsements and women, declaring who was the most handsome, and bringing off-court drama to the locker room, is hazardous for team harmony. Their quarrels over who the true point guard was in Los Angeles was the least of their issues. Pettiness abounded.
EXIT ’81
Winning Time sticks to that championship year of 1979-80. The next season alone could have been a documentary about what poor chemistry does to any professional roster. During the 1980-81 season, the Magic Johnson star was rapidly ascending, and a peaking Norm Nixon was shrouded further in his shadow. Fifty-foot billboards of Johnson were peppered over the city, and his megawatt smile (courtesy of a 7-Up endorsement), was becoming a national phenomenon. The team was winning. Then suddenly, Magic sustained a left knee
injury which sidelined him for the majority of the season (45 games). Immediately, the experts predicted doom for the defending champions.
Not so fast.
The Lakers, with Norm Nixon once again running the show at point guard, continued to excel, ending the regular season with 54 wins. Magic then returned just prior to the start of the playoffs, moving Norm back to a “secondary role”. The team was divided, fractured by those pro-Nixon players, many of whom were jealous of the second-year Johnson’s media circus prior to (and after) his return. Johnson had some support as well, but fanned the flames by complaining to the media about his teammates being jealous of his skyrocketing publicity (“Not everybody can get the ‘pub'[-blicity]”). Nixon often provided access to the roster’s squabbles by talking to the media as an “unnamed source“. On the other hand, he made it perfectly clear that playing the off-guard was “not my preference” to anyone who dared listen. According to many Los Angeles sportswriters, off-the-record quips, gossip, and critiques from Nixon were “simply tremendous”.
That year ended with an embarrassing upset loss to the 40–42 Houston Rockets, in the first round of the playoffs. In the locker
room, moments prior to the deciding game, a shouting match had ensued between factions on the squad over leaked remarks to the local media, regarding team dissension and disharmony. With that backdrop, and team chemistry in the toilet, Magic shot 2-for-14 (14%) from the field, and 6-for-11 (54%) from the line for a mere 10 points (including an airball with a chance to win). Changes were inevitable.
COMING TO A HEAD
Nixon spoke for many players when he talked to Magic about being “a little too close” to team owner Jerry Buss. The latter player and owner frequently partied together, enjoying the “company“ of scores of young ladies. Buss secretly admired Nixon for his on-court success, but also for his rumored sexual prowess. Norm, to his credit, never allowed a similar situation or relationship with management to manifest itself. Not only did he distrust the Lakers brass, he was always cognizant of the fact that he could be traded, jettisoned elsewhere at the whim of a general manager. This was business.
After winning a second NBA title in 1982, largely due to the acquisition of Bob McAdoo (a monster reserve scorer during the playoffs), and an NBA Finals loss in 1983 (Philadelphia),
another nemesis emerged. This was in the form of former player, the NBA “logo” himself, Jerry West. West had been Nixon’s first coach as a rookie, and by this juncture was the Lakers Assistant General Manager. He respected Norm as a player, but rode him mercilessly. Commonly, he derided the guard as a pretty boy, a wimp, inept, a whiner, and a malingerer. Covertly, similar to owner Jerry Buss, one Laker stated, “Jerry wished he had Norm’s whatever it was…charisma. He was a ladies magnet. Norm was real cool. Jerry liked that. But they never had a good relationship because Norm never trusted Jerry [West].” [2]
Mr. Big, knowing his status, and armed with a hefty guaranteed contract, never backed down. In spite of the Lakers box-office achievements, it was a poorly-maintained secret that West was preoccupied with getting rid of the All-Star guard. Winning was not a cure-all.
WHITE LINES
Around the league, it was well-known that the Forum Club (within the Lakers home establishment) was the preferred postgame spot in Los Angeles. Players, both hosts and opponents, showered quickly after games to get there early.
Word on the street was to arrive before Magic and Norm! By all accounts, the liquor, the music, the stream of celebrities, and the women, were the finest that Los Angeles had to offer. So was the powdered cocaine.
Jerry West, in 1983, came up with a diabolical scheme to get rid of Nixon, a Forum Club fixture. The latter, while indeed a partier and a ladies man, was not known to utilize recreational drugs. West, who was obsessed with trading Nixon, insisted otherwise. He had hired private investigators to “tail” his star guard (can’t make this up) 24 hours a day. They annotated his every move and found absolutely nothing. One of the investigators, knowing beforehand that this paid surveillance was an exercise in futility, contacted Nixon.
PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR (emerging from the bushes by Nixon’s driveway): “Hey man, I need to talk to you.”
NIXON (assuming that he was being robbed): “WHOA…What the hell is going on?!?”
INVESTIGATOR: “I’ve been following you for the last two weeks. If you don’t believe me, I’ll tell you where we are parking. We are at either end of the block. I’ve got a job to do,
but I like you, and I felt an obligation to tell you. Now I’ve got to get back to work.”
“The next morning, Nixon backed his Mercedes-Benz into the street, checked his rear-view mirror, and spotted one of the black cars following him.” [1]
Nixon was not only livid, but shaken. His teammates were equally unsettled. If this could happen to him, a veteran and star player, it could happen to anyone. Understandably, he confronted Jerry West.
NIXON: “You have people following me?…Are you kidding me?!?”
WEST: “You’ve been hanging out with some drug dealers. And we know you do a lot of drugs.”
NIXON: “Jerry I’m not going to admit that to you. I don’t care what you say, what you saw me doing. I’m not going to simply tell you for your satisfaction that I do drugs.”
WEST: “That’s the first thing drug users do is deny, deny, deny. That’s the first thing they do.” [1]
Nixon was stunned. His basketball brethren were incredulous and dismayed. Following the end of the 1983 season, Norm Nixon was traded to the (then) San Diego Clippers. Lakers reserve guard Ron Carter, a friend of Norm’s since childhood, made it clear that drugs were never an issue. Conversely, rumors of womanizing simultaneously dogged Nixon again. It was widely believed at the time that Nixon’s exit from L.A. was expedited (allegedly), because he was having an affair with the daughter of another prominent NBA owner. Also, he was hit with a paternity suit from a different woman while this was all transpiring.
SYNOPSIS
No matter how he is depicted on HBO, the truth of the matter is that he was a bonafide luminary. Like others, he is not devoid of flaws. Nixon was a vital cog on the juggernaut Los Angeles Lakers. While he possessed a colossal ego, he also had an equally strong heart. Both of these qualities are admirable and significant attributes of an All-Star, championship level, NBA point guard. In a land of relative giants, this 6’2″, 175 pounder refused to be overshadowed. During his career, he corralled two NBA Championship rings, was a two-time NBA All-Star, and made the Lakers fastbreak flourish. He was also considered
among the quickest backcout men in the entire league. Norm had no problem letting you know any of the above. He had a perpetual chip on his shoulder, and had come a long way since his collegiate days at the relatively small Duquesne University. Nixon may never become a Hall of Famer, yet, he is indeed a legend. Without his services, the early “Showtime Lakers” would not have been the same.
Magic and Norm have now been close for decades, but in the early 1980’s, the competition and tension between the precocious rookie and the established vet, was genuine. As far as the HBO series itself, Norm, while happy for his son, insists that the events shown are “not totally accurate”. He has stated that the one-on-one matchup with Magic Johnson never occurred! Furthermore, being a proud native of Macon, Georgia, he never referred to the rookie guard as “country”. In a recent podcast interview with former Boston Celtics rival Cedric Maxwell (CLNS Media), Nixon said that he has only reviewed the pilot for the series. That was more than enough.
No embellishment of his story is required. Both Norm and DeVaughn will tell you this in no uncertain terms.
Words By: Dr. Eric Hawkins (“Dr. Hawk”) Exclusively for Knarrative & Knubia
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
(1) Pearman, Jeff. “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, & The Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980’s”. Gotham, The Penguin Group. New York. (2014). pp. 115, 208-209
(2) Lazenenby, Roland. “The Show: The Inside Story of the Spectacular Los Angeles Lakers”. McGraw-Hill Companies. New York. (2006). p. 224
