Exclusive: Lakers Legend Norm Nixon Opens Up on Luka, Showtime and Reach for the Stars Event

For Los Angeles Lakers legend Norm Nixon, Reach for the Stars: The Art of Basketball’s Golden Era was much more than a collection of photographs.

The former Lakers star found himself transported back to epic championship runs and unforgettable moments from an era that helped transform the NBA, particularly in Los Angeles, where Dr. Jerry Buss left his mark on the league and the storied franchise.

In an exclusive interview with Lakers On SI, Nixon opened up about the Debbie Allen Dance Academy (DADA), Luka Doncic taking over as the new face of the Lakers while making a dynamic backcourt duo with Austin Reaves, the changing Lakers ownership landscape and much more.

When you looked around at all the photographs at Reach for the Stars: The Art of Basketball’s Golden Era, what memories came flooding back that maybe you hadn't thought about in years?

"Seeing photos of the teams I played on brought back memories of championship series and All-Star Games. The images of other players reminded me of the matchups, the plays, and everything happening around us at the time. There’s one of Michael Jordan in the Dunk Contest where he looks like his head is almost at the rim. You can see me watching in the background. Seeing that moment again took me right back to my playing years.

You lived through an era when basketball started crossing over and into entertainment, fashion and pop culture. When did you first realize what the Lakers were becoming in terms of bigger than basketball?

"I began to see it after Dr. Buss bought the team. By that time, I had already been playing for the Lakers for two years, but he brought a new approach to the entertainment surrounding basketball. He leaned into the Hollywood side of Los Angeles, including the Laker dancers. Fortunately, our style of play was exciting, too. We pushed the ball and played fast, so there was something compelling happening both on and off the court."

Dr. Jerry Buss Los Angeles Lakers — May 31, 2011; Mike Brown (second from left) poses with Jim Buss (far left), owner Jerry Buss (second from right) and general manager Mitch Kupchak (far right) at a press conference to introduce Brown as Los Angeles Lakers coach at the Lakers practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Seven seconds or less?

“It wasn’t quite that, but we did play a fast-break style. We also had Kareem. Dr. Buss recognized from the beginning that people enjoyed watching the way we played, and he knew how to market it. We won a championship, we were in Los Angeles, and the team was becoming part of Hollywood culture. The timing couldn’t have been better. He helped make basketball an entertainment experience."

What do you think about everything that's going on with the Lakers ownership?

"There’s still a lot happening, so I’m not sure how it will play out yet. My impression is that Jeanie doesn’t want to be completely out of the picture. The Lakers are part of her family’s legacy, and she represented the team on the Board of Governors. I can understand why she would want to stay involved in some capacity.

Mar 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers majority owner Mark Walter and team executive Jeannie Buss in attendance at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I also understand new owners wanting to come in and bring their own people in those roles. It’s disheartening to see that tension because the team was owned by the Buss family for the majority of the time I played on the team. However, the business side of the NBA has changed. Dr. Buss was ahead of his time with cable TV, and TV and streaming play an even bigger role in sports today. It’s a different era."

You and Debbie have spent so much time or so much of your lives in two very different worlds, basketball and performing arts. What similarities do you see between what it takes to become an elite athlete and an elite performer?

"Watching Debbie and the dancers over the years has given me a deeper appreciation for how athletic dancers are. Especially seeing their ability to leap, their flexibility and the way they dealt with injuries. They’re incredible athletes, and there’s so much value in what they do. After an injury, I, myself, took a ballet class at Steps in New York. Using the ballet bar helped me stretch and strengthen my legs without putting the same strain on them.

Norm Nixon Los Angeles Lakers — Reach for the Stars: The Art of Basketball’s Golden Era | Lee Tonks

"I think that discipline is one of the major characteristics that connects elite athletes and performers is discipline. Both require you to work hard, study your craft and want to keep improving. In basketball, there are pros, and then there are the pros other pros look up to. Those are the players that are never late, stay in the gym after everyone else leaves and keep working on the weaker parts of their game."

Kareem was one of the first to use yoga in the NBA, right? He goes on and plays 20 years. Which is kind of unheard of at the time, right?

"There is a correlation between flexibility and minimizing the chance of injury. That doesn’t mean you’ll never get hurt, but it can make a difference when you land awkwardly or twist an ankle. After my rookie year, I stopped taping my ankles and focused more on stretching.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Los Angeles Lakers — Unknown date and unknown location; USA; FILE PHOTO; Los Angeles Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33). Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Network. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I was fortunate to have a college coach who made us take yoga. That experience in combination with being married to Debbie, introduced me to the importance of flexibility early. Kareem also had a deep understanding of its value. He practiced martial arts, which develop strength, balance and flexibility."

You were already an established point guard before Magic Johnson came in, and you had to figure out how two gifted playmakers could coexist. When you look at Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves today, what does it take for those two guys who both want the ball to maximize each other?

“There are enough possessions in an NBA game for both of them to handle the ball and create opportunities. When Magic and I played together, sometimes he brought the ball up, and I took off down the floor. Other times, I had it, and he ran. Sometimes the flow of the game dictated who would bring the ball up.

"Luka and Austin can play to each other’s strengths in the same way. Luka can handle the ball while Austin comes off a screen to shoot, and they can reverse those roles. If one player handles the ball all the time, there aren’t enough chances for the other players to sharpen their skills, and they could lose that skill. You need more than one player on the floor who can organize the offense and create opportunities for teammates."

When you watch Luka Doncic control the game today and force teams to play at his pace, what stands out about the way he sees the floor?

"It’s remarkable how he can make the game move at his pace. He must be physically strong since he isn’t moving quickly, but he moves people around to create space. He doesn’t rely on being the quickest player on the court and uses his body to move defenders and create space. He understands the game and knows how to play it.

"A lot of players from Europe begin competing professionally at 15 or 16, and I believe that experience can help them develop a feel for the game early. You can see that understanding in Luka. As we’d say in basketball, he has that dog in him."

You won playing alongside Kareem, one of the best centers ever, if not the best center ever. How important is it to have a dependable defensive presence at center, like Walker Kessler, for a team built around an offensive superstar like Luka?

"A center isn’t essential in quite the same way as when I played. Back then, you really needed a center to win. Today, teams play small ball much more often and adjust their lineups to match one another.

"If I were coaching today, I would still want someone who can protect the paint. A bigger player who makes it difficult for opponents to get to the basket changes what they can do offensively. "

JJ Redick kind of spent his career as a guard and now has two seasons under his belt. What do you think about the job that he's done for a guy who had zero experience coming in?

"Playing guard teaches you to read the entire floor. When I played point guard, I could often recognize the defense after one or two passes. I knew where my teammates were supposed to be, and if I saw a mismatch, I knew which play could take advantage of it. For example, I watched a game where Stephon Castle had a much smaller defender, Alvarado, on him, but San Antonio didn’t run a play to exploit that matchup. A point guard is always looking for opportunities like that and trying to act before the defense adjusts, which is why I’m not surprised that someone with JJ’s experience as a guard understands the strategic side of coaching.

Apr 18, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick reacts during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"There’s more to the job than recognizing plays. You have to build a system that lets players react without overthinking every possession. Then you have to manage different personalities and egos. That’s a skill a coach develops through experience."

Could you imagine playing with social media added into the mix like it is today?

"No, but if I were 21 today, I’m sure I’d have an understanding of it because I would have grown up with it. From where I stand now, though, it’s hard to imagine someone recording what happened in our locker room and posting it. I don’t think that would have gone over well when I played.

"However, today’s players grew up with social media. Their business interests often extend beyond the court, and the size of their following can affect their opportunities. Given that reality, it makes sense for them to use it."

What's one thing that you think has to happen for the Lakers to legitimately contend for a championship even as early as next season?

"I don’t think that you can put a championship team together that quickly. I’ve never been a big believer in trying to buy a team. I believe in building through the draft and then adding the right pieces. If you spend heavily on three stars, you still have to figure out how to build and pay for the rest of the roster. You need a complete team to win."

So more like the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder?

“San Antonio is an example of a young team with the potential to build something special. I think they may need one more piece to become a championship team. If they’re able to find the right fit, they could have a chance to win several titles over the coming years, maybe even five in eight years. The challenge will be keeping that group together. As those young players develop, they’ll likely want more money. Building the team is one thing; maintaining it will be another.

May 26, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) dribbles against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the second quarter in game five of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Could you imagine Victor Wembanyama and Kareem going at it in the paint?

"I’d take Kareem. Wembanyama is talented, but Kareem would have been too strong for him in the paint. I don’t think Victor could have handled him down there."

Who really challenged Kareem? Wilt Chamberlain?

"There were talented bigger players in the league, including Bill Walton, Artis Gilmore and Robert Parish. They could compete, but Kareem was Kareem. None of them could handle Kareem."

Do you think that the pressure is different today than it was during the Showtime era?

"There are certainly more eyes on players now. Every game is available on demand. People can watch on their phones, and almost anything that happens on the court can be replayed from different angles. Early in my career, some of our championship games weren’t even shown until late at night.

"I can’t say whether you feel that attention as pressure during a game or not, but once you’re on the court, you’re playing. Young players are watched and evaluated much earlier now. Sometimes it seems they’re drafted on potential before they’ve had the chance to show what they can do under pressure. A player who has been through an NCAA championship has a different kind of experience from one who hasn’t.

"I think teams also became more willing to take a chance on players straight out of high school because nobody wanted to miss the next Kobe Bryant. At the same time, I worry that the emphasis on AAU tournaments can come at the expense of fundamentals. AAU tournaments give players exposure, but tournament success doesn’t always mean that a player is ready for what the NBA’s demands. entails."

Was there one photograph during the exhibition that you immediately thought had a story behind it that nobody here knows?

"For me, it would be one of the game shots. A photo might show someone dunking on a defender or blocking a shot, but it can’t show everything happening between the players. There might have been a little tension between the players leading up to the play and plenty of talk afterward. I don’t know the particular story behind every image, but I know some of those moments have more going on than you can see in the photo.

Norm Nixon Lou Adler Los Angeles Lakers — Reach for the Stars: The Art of Basketball’s Golden Era | Lee Tonks

People look back on the 80s as basketball’s golden era. Having actually lived it, what made that period special that photographs can capture?

"The game was different and more physical. When I entered the league, defenders could hand-check you. If you drove into the lane, the bigger player could meet you with real contact, so you had to choose your moments and adjust how you attacked the basket.

"Today’s game places an emphasis on a different set of skills, especially three-point shooting, and offensive players have more freedom. I did see officials now allow more physical play during the recent playoffs, though it wasn’t always consistent. Those photographs show the way the game looked in our era, but playing through that contact is something you had to experience."

Why was creating opportunities for young people such an important part of what you and Debbie do?

"That has been the mission of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy since it opened in 2001, and it mattered to both of us before it existed. Talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn’t. We want young people to have a place where their talent can develop, along with the discipline to succeed in whatever they choose. That could be dance or basketball, but it could also be medicine, law or another career. Showing up every day and maintaining a certain GPA are part of building that discipline.

Norm Nixon Malek Mansour Los Angeles Lakers — Reach for the Stars: The Art of Basketball’s Golden Era | Lee Tonks

"The exhibit is part of that work. I’ve known Malek Mansour for years, and I knew he had remarkable photos from his time traveling with the Lakers. I told him we needed to do an exhibit. Our students get to grow up around great art and meet the people behind it. A portion of the proceeds from exhibits at DADA goes back to the school. The artists who have exhibited here understand and support that mission, and it helps us keep creating opportunities."

If you could add one photo or one moment from your NBA career to add to the exhibition about basketball's goal in there, what would it be?

"The photograph of me dunking in a game. I have one! (Laughs.)"

You only dunked once in your career?

"I could dunk, and I used to put on dunking exhibitions at basketball camps, but in a game, I generally preferred to lay the ball in. At my size, I couldn’t palm the ball the way Michael could. If I committed to a dunk and a defender came up to meet me, I’d have fewer options. Going up for a layup let me adjust, get around the defender and finish the play."

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