Nick Collison
Nicholas John Collison (born October 26, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who spent his entire career with the Seattle SuperSonics / Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted by the SuperSonics in the first round of the 2003 NBA draft and retired as a member of the Thunder in 2018. During his playing career with the SuperSonics / Thunder, he was given the nickname "Mr. Thunder". As a college player, Collison went to two Final Fours with the Kansas Jayhawks.
 Collison with the Thunder in March 2010 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 26, 1980 Orange City, Iowa |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 255 lb (116 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Iowa Falls (Iowa Falls, Iowa) |
| College | Kansas (1999–2003) |
| NBA draft | 2003 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12th overall |
| Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics | |
| Playing career | 2003–2018 |
| Position | Power forward / Center |
| Number | 4 |
| Career history | |
| 2003–2018 | Seattle SuperSonics / Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 5,359 (5.9 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 4,701 (5.2 rpg) |
| Assists | 939 (1.0 apg) |
Stats  at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
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Early life and high school career
Collison was born in Orange City, Iowa and grew up in Fort Dodge and Iowa Falls. He attended Iowa Falls High School and was a McDonald's All-American in 1999.
College career
Teaming with fellow Iowan Kirk Hinrich to form one of the best duos in college basketball, Collison helped KU reach two consecutive Final Fours (2002 and 2003). Collison finished his college career as the leading scorer in the history of the Big 12 Conference (a mark since surpassed). In 2003, his Jayhawks lost to Carmelo Anthony and the Syracuse Orange in the National Championship game, 81–78. He also played for the United States national team at the 2002 FIBA World Championship.[1]
Collison's no. 4 jersey was retired by the Kansas Jayhawks on November 25, 2003 during halftime of the Kansas-Michigan State game in recognition of his achievements over his four-year career (2002–03 Player of the Year, consensus first-team All-America, Big 12 Player of the Year).[2]
Professional career
Seattle SuperSonics / Oklahoma City Thunder (2003–2018)
Collison was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 12th overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft, but missed the 2003–04 season with injuries to both shoulders. He made his NBA debut on November 3, 2004, recording two points, five rebounds and two assists in a 114–84 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. He appeared in all 82 games in his rookie season, averaging 5.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 17.0 minutes per game.[3] He played in all 82 games for a second time during the 2006–07 season. On January 9, 2007, he had a career-best game with 29 points and 21 rebounds in a 113–102 loss to the Phoenix Suns.[4] In 2008, the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City and rebranded as the Thunder. In 2012, he helped the Thunder reach the NBA Finals, where they lost in five games to the Miami Heat.
On February 3, 2015, Collison signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract extension with the Thunder.[5][6]
On July 21, 2017, Collison re-signed with the Thunder to a one-year, minimum salary deal.[7][8]
On May 10, 2018, Collison announced his retirement from professional basketball.[9] On January 12, 2019, the Thunder announced that they would be retiring Collison's No. 4 jersey, becoming the first number retired by the Thunder.[10]
Personal life
After the Sonics relocated to Oklahoma City, Collison continued to make his home in Seattle.[11][12]
Collison has a daughter named Emma.[13][14] His younger brother, Michael, played college basketball for their father's alma mater, Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa.[15]
NBA career statistics
| 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 |
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | Seattle | 82 | 4 | 17.0 | .537 | .000 | .703 | 4.6 | .4 | .4 | .6 | 5.6 |
| 2005–06 | Seattle | 66 | 27 | 21.9 | .525 | .000 | .699 | 5.6 | 1.1 | .3 | .5 | 7.5 |
| 2006–07 | Seattle | 82 | 56 | 29.0 | .500 | .000 | .774 | 8.1 | 1.0 | .6 | .8 | 9.6 |
| 2007–08 | Seattle | 78 | 35 | 28.5 | .502 | .000 | .737 | 9.4 | 1.4 | .6 | .8 | 9.8 |
| 2008–09 | Oklahoma City | 71 | 40 | 25.8 | .568 | .000 | .721 | 6.9 | .9 | .7 | .7 | 8.2 |
| 2009–10 | Oklahoma City | 75 | 5 | 20.8 | .589 | .250 | .692 | 5.1 | .5 | .5 | .6 | 5.9 |
| 2010–11 | Oklahoma City | 71 | 2 | 21.5 | .566 | – | .753 | 4.5 | 1.0 | .6 | .4 | 4.6 |
| 2011–12 | Oklahoma City | 63 | 0 | 20.7 | .597 | .000 | .710 | 4.3 | 1.3 | .5 | .4 | 4.5 |
| 2012–13 | Oklahoma City | 81 | 2 | 19.5 | .595 | .000 | .769 | 4.1 | 1.5 | .6 | .4 | 5.1 |
| 2013–14 | Oklahoma City | 81 | 0 | 16.7 | .556 | .235 | .710 | 3.6 | 1.3 | .4 | .3 | 4.2 |
| 2014–15 | Oklahoma City | 66 | 2 | 16.7 | .419 | .267 | .692 | 3.8 | 1.4 | .5 | .4 | 4.1 |
| 2015–16 | Oklahoma City | 59 | 4 | 11.8 | .459 | .000 | .697 | 2.9 | .9 | .3 | .3 | 2.1 |
| 2016–17 | Oklahoma City | 20 | 0 | 6.4 | .609 | 000 | .625 | 1.6 | .5 | .1 | .1 | 1.7 |
| 2017–18 | Oklahoma City | 15 | 0 | 5.0 | .684 | – | .385 | 1.3 | .3 | .0 | .0 | 2.1 |
| Career | 910 | 177 | 20.4 | .534 | .208 | .723 | 5.2 | 1.0 | .5 | .5 | 5.9 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Seattle | 11 | 0 | 19.8 | .607 | 1.000 | .630 | 5.0 | .5 | .3 | .5 | 8.4 |
| 2010 | Oklahoma City | 6 | 0 | 21.5 | .333 | .000 | .429 | 4.7 | .3 | .8 | .2 | 3.2 |
| 2011 | Oklahoma City | 17 | 0 | 24.3 | .632 | .000 | .783 | 5.8 | .9 | .9 | .9 | 6.7 |
| 2012 | Oklahoma City | 20 | 0 | 16.6 | .647 | .000 | .429 | 3.4 | 1.0 | .6 | .3 | 3.5 |
| 2013 | Oklahoma City | 11 | 0 | 16.2 | .468 | .000 | .917 | 4.6 | 1.1 | .5 | 1.0 | 5.0 |
| 2014 | Oklahoma City | 17 | 2 | 10.8 | .414 | .400 | .700 | 2.2 | .8 | .2 | .4 | 1.9 |
| 2016 | Oklahoma City | 9 | 0 | 8.8 | .667 | .000 | .500 | 1.2 | .6 | .9 | .0 | 1.0 |
| Career | 91 | 2 | 16.8 | .558 | .429 | .682 | 3.8 | .8 | .6 | .5 | 4.3 | |
See also
References
- Collison Named Alternate On USA World Championship Team
- "COLLISON'S JERSEY TO BE RETIRED". Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- "Nick Collison 2004-05 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
- "Suns Win Seventh Straight, Beat Sonics". NBA.com. January 10, 2007. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
- Thunder Signs Nick Collison to Contract Extension
- Thunder sign Nick Collison to two-year, nearly $8 million contract extension
- Thunder Signs Nick Collison
- Thunder announce Nick Collison will stay in Oklahoma City
- Gallo, Nick (May 10, 2018). "Seeing Off a True Pro – Thunder Fan Favorite Nick Collison Retires". NBA.com. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- "Thunder Set to Retire Nick Collison's No. 4". NBA.com. January 12, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- Collison reflects on Sonics' relocation
- Need a view? Nick Collison's Queen Anne home "without rival"
- The Nick Collison Guest Blog, Vol. 1: How I Spent My (Extended) Summer Vacation
- "Super Sonic Wedding Superb! Doing it Right at Court in the Square, Hotel 1000, and Pravda!". JanetKlinger.com. August 20, 2007. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
- #33 Michael Collison
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nick Collison. |
- Career statistics and player information from NBA.com or Basketball-Reference.com
- Nick Collison at nba.com