Chicago, Illinois born and raised, Nick Anderson was a standout on the hardwood from a very early age. The shooting guard/small forward was named Illinois Mr. Basketball after leading Simeon Career Academy to the city championship and USA Today national ranking in 1986.
The McDonald’s All-American continued to live up to the Mr. Basketball accolade as he starred collegiately at the University of Illinois, leading the “Flying Illini” to the Final Four.
Anderson made history as he was selected in the first round with the 11th overall pick by the expansion Orlando Magic in the 1989 NBA Draft. He was the first pick in the history of organization. Anderson was a consistent scorer and a starter for an up and coming team that, in subsequent years, added the likes of Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee Hardaway through the draft to become one of the most exciting young teams in the NBA.
The long range sharpshooter played for the Magic, Kings and Grizzlies during his 13 year NBA career. He averaged nearly 15 points per game during the course of his career.
He’s currently a hoops ambassador for the Magic and also does analyst work on television.
We caught up to him to talk about his rookie cards, his breathtaking collection of game used sneakers and playing in the golden era of professional basketball.
