Nic Claxton
![]() Claxton with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 | |
No. 33 – Brooklyn Nets | |
---|---|
Position | Center |
League | NBA |
Personal information | |
Born | Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. | April 17, 1999
Nationality | American / U.S. Virgin Islander |
Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Legacy Charter School (Greenville, South Carolina) |
College | Georgia (2017–2019) |
NBA draft | 2019: 2nd round, 31st overall pick |
Selected by the Brooklyn Nets | |
Playing career | 2019–present |
Career history | |
2019–present | Brooklyn Nets |
2019–2020 | →Long Island Nets |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats 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.
High school career
[edit]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
[edit]Brooklyn Nets (2019–present)
[edit]Early years and limited role (2019–2021)
[edit]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)
[edit]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] He ended the year leading the league in field goal percentage at 70.5%, averaged 2.5 blocks per game, 2nd behind Defensive Player of the Year winner Jaren Jackson Jr., and finished 9th in DPOY voting.
On July 6, 2024, Claxton re-signed with the Nets on a reported four-year, $100 million contract.[20][21]
National team career
[edit]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.[22] 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.[23] 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.[24][25] In the summer of 2018, Claxton joined the senior Virgin Islands national team at qualifying competition for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.[26]
Claxton is eligible for the U.S. Virgin Islands team because his father, Charles, was born in St. Thomas.[26]
Career statistics
[edit]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 |
* | Led the league |
NBA
[edit]Regular season
[edit]Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019–20 | Brooklyn | 15 | 0 | 12.5 | .563 | .143 | .524 | 2.9 | 1.1 | .1 | .5 | 4.4 |
2020–21 | Brooklyn | 32 | 1 | 18.6 | .621 | .200 | .484 | 5.2 | .9 | .7 | 1.3 | 6.6 |
2021–22 | Brooklyn | 47 | 19 | 20.7 | .674 | — | .581 | 5.6 | .9 | .5 | 1.1 | 8.7 |
2022–23 | Brooklyn | 76 | 76 | 29.9 | .705* | .000 | .541 | 9.2 | 1.9 | .9 | 2.5 | 12.6 |
2023–24 | Brooklyn | 71 | 71 | 29.8 | .629 | .200 | .551 | 9.9 | 2.1 | .6 | 2.1 | 11.8 |
Career | 241 | 167 | 25.5 | .661 | .158 | .544 | 7.8 | 1.6 | .7 | 1.8 | 10.3 |
Play-in
[edit]Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Brooklyn | 1 | 0 | 28.7 | 1.000 | — | .167 | 9.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 5.0 | 13.0 |
Career | 1 | 0 | 28.7 | 1.000 | — | .167 | 9.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 5.0 | 13.0 |
Playoffs
[edit]Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Brooklyn | 12 | 0 | 10.8 | .483 | — | .667 | 2.8 | .6 | .3 | 1.0 | 2.5 |
2022 | Brooklyn | 4 | 0 | 24.5 | .792 | — | .182 | 6.3 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 10.5 |
2023 | Brooklyn | 4 | 4 | 29.2 | .720 | — | .600 | 8.0 | 1.5 | .3 | 1.8 | 10.5 |
Career | 20 | 4 | 17.2 | .654 | — | .343 | 4.5 | 1.0 | .5 | 1.4 | 5.7 |
College
[edit]Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017–18 | Georgia | 33 | 5 | 14.7 | .449 | .364 | .523 | 3.9 | .2 | .2 | 1.3 | 3.9 |
2018–19 | Georgia | 32 | 32 | 31.6 | .460 | .281 | .641 | 8.6 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 13.0 |
Career | 65 | 37 | 23.0 | .457 | .302 | .611 | 6.2 | 1.0 | .6 | 1.9 | 8.4 |
Personal life
[edit]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.[27][28] Nic's younger brother, Chase Claxton, plays Division I basketball for the Winthrop Eagles.[29]
References
[edit]- ^ "Nicolas Claxton". University of Georgia Athletics. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- ^ Weiszer, Mark (November 1, 2017). "Freshman Nicolas Claxton brings length, versatility to Bulldogs". Athens Banner-Herald. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- ^ Sudge, Brandon (November 14, 2016). "Three-star wing Nicolas Claxton signs with Georgia for 2017". SicEmDawgs. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- ^ "Brooklyn Nets Select Nicolas Claxton and Jaylen Hands in 2019 NBA Draft". NBA.com. June 20, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
- ^ "Brooklyn Nets Sign Nicolas Claxton". NBA.com. July 7, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
- ^ Friar, Nick (November 9, 2019). "Nic Claxton impressed in NBA debut against Blazers". Nets Wire. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ "Nets' Nicolas Claxton: Sent to G League". CBS Sports. January 10, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
- ^ "Simmons scores 34 in triple-double, carries 76ers past Nets". ESPN. January 20, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ "NICOLAS CLAXTON MEDICAL UPDATE". NBA.com. June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "Harden returns to score 18 points, Nets beat Spurs 128-116". ESPN. May 12, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ Brooks, Matthew (May 25, 2021). "Nicolas Claxton on Game 1 playoff debut against Boston: 'I was ready'". NetsDaily. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ "Nets head to second round, beat Celtics 123-109 in Game 5". ESPN. June 1, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ "Bucks edge Nets in OT in Game 7, withstand Durant's 48". ESPN. June 20, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ "Kings rally in 4th to hand Nets 6th straight loss, 112-101". ESPN. February 2, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ "Celtics complete 4-game sweep of Nets with 116-112 victory". ESPN. April 25, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ "Brooklyn Nets Re-sign Nic Claxton". NBA.com. July 7, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- ^ "Nets re-sign Nic Claxton to 2-year, $20 million contract: Sources". The Athletic. July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- ^ "Nic Claxton starting to be big-impact player for Nets". NY Post. January 7, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ "Pistons beat Nets, first win in Brooklyn in almost 5 years". ESPN. January 26, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ Wojnarowski, Adrian [@wojespn] (June 26, 2024). "Nic Claxton intends to a sign a four-year, $100M to return to the Brooklyn Nets, sources tell ESPN" (Tweet). Retrieved July 14, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Brooklyn Nets Re-Sign Nic Claxton". NBA.com. July 6, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ "Nicolas Claxton's profile - 2014 Centrobasket U15 Championship for Men". FIBA. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- ^ "Nicolas Claxton's profile - 2015 Centrobasket U17 Championship for Men". FIBA. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- ^ "Nicolas Claxton's profile - 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men". FIBA. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- ^ "Nicolas Claxton Player Profile". RealGM. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Weiszer, Mark (November 14, 2016). "Claxton connection to Georgia continues as Bulldogs land son of former player". Athens Banner-Herald. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- ^ "Charles Claxton". Sports Reference. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- ^ 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.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information from NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com
- Georgia Bulldogs bio
- Living people
- 1999 births
- American men's basketball players
- American people of Virgin Islands descent
- Basketball players from South Carolina
- Brooklyn Nets draft picks
- Brooklyn Nets players
- Georgia Bulldogs basketball players
- Long Island Nets players
- Power forwards
- Sportspeople from Greenville, South Carolina
- United States Virgin Islands men's basketball players
- 21st-century American sportsmen