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

The former Lakers guard reflects on the franchise’s past and present while offering a revealing perspective on the stars carrying Los Angeles into its next era.

Reach for the Stars: The Art of Basketball’s Golden Era | Lee Tonks

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?

“The part with the teams that I was on just brought back memories of the championship series and All-Star games that I had an opportunity to participate in.

“But seeing some of the other players, it brought back some of the series and some of the different moves I saw outside the court, and some just amazing moments. There was a photo of Michael [Jordan] in the Dunk Contest with his head almost on the rim. In the background, I'm just sitting there watching it. 

Reach for the Stars: The Art of Basketball’s Golden Era | Lee Tonks

“It just brought back all those kind of memories during my playing years in the 80s, early, late 70s. It took me down memory lane.”

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 think the first year Dr. Buss bought the team. I played two years before Dr. Buss bought the team. And I think Dr. Buss was the guy who really brought in sex and entertainment. All these beautiful girls, the Laker dancers. He was a bachelor, the playboy, owner, who bought a team.

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

“Fortunately, our style of play was exciting. We were played a fast break style of basketball. I don't know if you remember the Phoenix [Suns] teams. They played that kind of style.”

Seven seconds or less? 

“It wasn't quite that, but that's probably what you can remember watching. So we played that style back in the day. But we also had Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar]. But when he bought the team, he marketed that from Day 1.

"And the stars were aligned. We won the championship, and we played a style of basketball that people liked, and it was in Los Angeles and in Hollywood. So he couldn't have written a better script for the team himself, and how he would have wanted things to turn out.

“He was the first guy to do that, which made basketball entertainment.”

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

“Well, we don't know. There's so much still going on. I don't think Jeanie [Buss] wants to be out yet. It's still part of her legacy. She was representative with the Board of Governors, so I think she still wanted to keep her hand in that portion of it.

“But with new owners, I'm sure they wanted their people to be in that position. So to see those kind of fights is disheartening a little bit because the team was always owned by the Buss family when I played, so a little disheartening from that perspective.

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

“But business changed, environments changed. The television, Dr. Buss, was one the first ones is to have a cable station. Look at the penetration of TV and streaming now into the sport. 

“It’s a different era. It's a different thing right now.”

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?

“We've both been spending a lot of time on the entertainment side. My basketball career was a short period of time, 12 years.”

“But what I learned early on dating Debbie, watching the dancers. Some of the best athletes out there, the way they could leap, the way they jumped, the flexibility, the way they dealt with injuries.

“So from that perspective, I really learned the value. I knew about stretching, but I really learned the value of stretching coming off of injuries, I actually did take a class at Steps in New York, a ballet class, where I basically did the bar, which was stretching and strengthening my legs without the risk of injuring myself.

“I really learned the value of stretching your feet and your legs from that perspective. It's full force becoming an elite dancer or elite in anything. Certain things transcend that work ethic, work hard, study your craft. And you have to have a desire to be the best.

“Some people are just OK just being a pro. Then you have the guys who want to be the best pros. That's a different fire. That takes it to another level.

Reach for the Stars: The Art of Basketball’s Golden Era | Lee Tonks

“And the way we always phrase it in basketball terms is like you had pros, then you had pros. There were pros amongst the pros. Those guys that were never late, those guys that, when everybody left, stayed in the gym. The guy that was never satisfied with his performance, that always wanted to do what it took to get better, whether it's taking care of your body better, shooting better, or if there was a part of your game that was weak, you had the discipline to work on that.

“And that transcends anything. So I think when you're up close and personal with it, you kind of respect it because it's exactly the same thing. It's exactly the same discipline, exactly the same work ethic.”

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's a correlation between that because, flexibility is preventive. Not saying you're never going to get hurt, but there are times when you twisted your ankle when you might have torn something because you were a little more flexible. Your body couldn't do it. 

“The one thing I took from Kareem after my rookie year, I stopped taping my ankles and I stretched more. But fortunately for me, I had a coach in college who was a little ahead of his time, and he made us take yoga.

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

“In my senior year of college, we had yoga classes. So I brought that flexibility in sports, and plus being with someone like Debbie, where stretching and flexibility are paramount to becoming a great dancer.

“So I really learned the value of that. Kareem was one of the first on that level to do it, and not only that, taking martial arts, which is another kind of 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?

“The NBA game is long enough for those guys to share the ball at a certain point in time.

“One of the things Magic and I would do, ‘Hey, Norm, you got it these four or five times,’ because we're always pushing the ball. … If he was getting the ball, I would take off. If I was getting it, he would take off. And then sometimes just the flow of the game would dictate who would bring the basketball up.

“But the game is long enough for two guys to do that. And as far as them playing together, as we talked about, they're fundamentals to basketball.

“Luka wants to handle it sometimes. Reaves wants to come off the picks to shoot. And vice versa. Because if he wants to have the ball the whole game, that's going to be a problem.”

“For anybody, one guy handling the ball is a problem. You've got to have someone else who knows how to set the team up, run plays, execute, set up situations, and create situations where his teammates can score.

“You've got to have more than one guy on the court that can do that. But if one guy does it all the time and no one else has the opportunity, they'll lose that skill. Not the skill to do it, but your ball handling might not still be there. You haven't seen enough opportunities on the court. So your ability to do that diminishes unless you have the opportunities to do it in games.”

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 wild that he can do that. I know one thing, too, just by watching him play, it never translates on the screen.

“Physically, he must be really strong because he's not moving quick. So he moves people around to create space. So from that, you can tell that physically, he's really strong. But he knows the game. A lot of these guys come from Europe and start playing pro at 15 or 16 years old.

“So they can develop at a different pace. So they come here in 20 or 21, they're a lot more mature than guys sometimes who went to college here. But he understands the game. He knows how to play the game. And in our words, 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?

“Not as important today as it was when I played. When I played, you definitely couldn't win without the center. You see now small ball is huge.

“So teams sometimes end up matching up with each other, and they're playing five guards. I might be exaggerating a little bit, but in the basketball world, when there are five small guys, it doesn't become as important to have that guy in the middle.

“But the teams that have that guy in the middle who can shut it down, make it more difficult. If I were coaching today, I would definitely be one who would have a guy up on that bucket that could shut down the paint. I definitely try to find that piece.”

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?

“If you really played the point guard position, I could tell what defensive team would be in once I passed the ball once or twice. I knew where everybody was supposed to be on every play. If you had a mismatch, I knew what play to call to exploit that mismatch. 

“And I'll give you an example. You watch Stephon Castle. There were stretches in the game where Alvarado was guarding him. He's 6'7". This is a guy who could just take the ball and flat-foot dunk it. 

“He had a 5'10 guy on him. San Antonio [Spurs] never once ran a play to take advantage of his mismatch. So as a point guard, you're a guy that's always thinking about the mismatches and when you find him, see him quick enough to make a play before the other team can make a substitution.

“So you have to always be in the game. So I'm never surprised when someone like that can come and nderstand the game.

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

“Like now, I could be a great coach, but I haven't been in training camp in so long, so I don't understand the rhythm of training camp. But if you're coming fresh off of playing, the rhythm of the training camp, what offense you need.

“So you understand that because you don't want guys thinking too much. You want to have a system where they can just go out and play and not have them think every time, just respond and react.

“I'm not surprised that he would understand those things. Now it becomes, how do you deal with the players now? How do you manage these players? How do you deal with all these different egos? That becomes a skill set that you have to learn.”

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

“No, because if was growing up and I was 21 today, I probably would understand it. But at my age now, I can't imagine someone filming us in the locker room and uploading it somewhere.

“Nowadays, if somebody snuck a camera in and figured out how to record us and then put it on television or something, there'll be fights in the locker room.

“These guys grew up with it. They all do it. And then the other part of that is a lot of time your business is off the court. They want to know how many followers you have. Everything becomes part of what you need to capitalize on your marketing.

“So it would be crazy not to do 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 know if you can do that, because I'm not one to believe in buying teams. I think you have to build a team through the draft and then add a couple of pieces. Just buying three superstars and then not having any money to pay anybody else. I don't know how that works out.”

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

“San Antonio, and then once they get it, it's going to be hard for them to keep them, because all those guys are going to demand a lot of money. But right now, while you've got them, they're young.

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

“They need one other piece, I think, to become a championship team. Even if they do, I think they can win five out of the next eight or something. They can create a dynasty again. But it's going to be the team's ability to keep all those guys together and see if they add the piece that can play with that team they got down there.”

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

“No, no, no. He couldn't do nothing with Kareem. Kareem would be too strong for him. Too strong for him. He couldn't do that with Kareem.”

Who really challenged Kareem? Wilt Chamberlain? 

“No, he had some guys. You got Bill Walton, who played a few years. You had Artis Gilmore, who was playing. You had Robert Parish who was playing. They had guys, but they couldn't do anything with Kareem, man.”

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

“One thing for sure, like I say, more eyes are on you all the time. It's like every game streamed, everything you do on the court, every angle on the court. So I don't know if that creates more pressure because when you play, you just play. 

“You're not thinking about pressure. You're playing when you're out on the court. I just think because of the penetration and so many different outlets you have streaming on this. Streaming on the phone, so you can watch on the phone. 

“We were in championship series initially. We came on 11:30 at night, when it was West versus East. And then the national television package could be 15 national games and 30 regional games because Dr. Buss started a cable company.

“Now, every game you play is televised from high school. I think a lot of times it's created guys getting drafted on potential versus what they've actually done. And I don't know how well that works out. Then they don't have the same experience. Because you get a guy who goes to the NCAA championship twice and a guy who's never played with that kind of pressure, it's a little different.

“So I think people do not want to miss the next Kobe [Bryant]. So they started taking more guys out of high school. And I think with AAU, I don't think they focus a lot of times on fundamentals. They want guys that can play in tournaments. A lot of times, tournament play doesn't translate into a fundamentally sound NBA player. In most cases, it doesn't."

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

“For me, they're game shots. The thing you wouldn't know that I'm sure existed on some of those plays when you see guys getting dunked on in photographs or something like that, that might have been a beef there.

Reach for the Stars: The Art of Basketball’s Golden Era | Lee Tonks

“Or when you see a guy block a shot, that was probably a whole lot of conversation after that. ‘Get that [expletive] out of here! Don't come in here no more.’ 

“So you can't really tell all that in watching the images and stuff. But I know there are stories behind all those things. What those stories are, I don't know.”

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

“It was special because the game was different. Now, I think they made the game more like the European game. You can take an extra step now. They encouraged people to shoot threes, so you can't touch anybody anymore.

“When I first came into the league, you could hand check. So a guy could basically grab you when you were coming down.

Reach for the Stars: The Art of Basketball’s Golden Era | Lee Tonks

“Big guys, if I went in the lane, they would slam me. So you had to pick and choose your time to go in there. They have actually slammed me before. You go in there, a guy goes to block your shot and throw you down.

“But I watched the playoffs this year. They did a lot. They did start allowing guys to play more physically this year. It's not consistent, but it did allow a little more physical play. And I think sometimes they allow the offensive guys to be a little more physical.”

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

“It's been a mission of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. This academy has been around since 2001. So we've been around for 25 years.

“That's been the mission of the academy, to do that. For both of us, even before the academy, it was about creating opportunities, because we all look back to see how we grew up. There's talent everywhere. There's not opportunity everywhere. So we wanted to create opportunities to nurture that talent, because the talent is not always going to show up in basketball or dance.

“It could be doctors, attorneys, lawyers, because we talk about the discipline that it takes to succeed in anything. The discipline, being here every day, have to maintain a certain GPA, that kind of training is the training that will lead to some successful adults. And we do have a track record with a lot of them. And so this exhibit came about because I have known Malek Mansour, the photographer, for many years.

Reach for the Stars: The Art of Basketball’s Golden Era | Lee Tonks

“He photographed us all these years. He traveled with the Lakers. And I knew he had all these great photos. I just said, ‘You know what, man? We need to do an exhibit.’ And with every exhibit we do here, part of the proceeds come back to the school.

"So the kids here get to grow up around great art and meet great people. It's all a part of the environment that we've created here. All the exhibits we give, part of the money comes back to the academy. And every artist that's been here understands that. They all understand and they're all in, all of them. So it's important for us to continue to, and you have to raise capital.”

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?

“When I dunked it one time in a game (laughs). I think I have a picture of it. I do have it.”

You only dunked once in your career?

“I didn’t believe in that stuff, man (laughs). I wanted to lay it in. When I did basketball camps, I would put on an exhibition. I would do a dunking exhibition. And in games, man, I'm trying to lay that thing up because when you're in a game with someone my size, I can't palm the ball like Mike with those guys.

“Once I commit to trying to dunk, if somebody jumps up there, man, I put myself in a bad situation. So I went up like this, so I could move around and hit and do whatever I wanted to do and your body only got something in the dunk, so I didn't want to give it up.”

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