Nick Anderson - 2016

Nick Anderson spent thirteen years in the NBA beginning in 1989, most of them with the Orlando Magic. A solidly built swingman, Anderson honed his game in Chicago. As a high school senior at Simeon, he was named "Mr. Basketball" in Illinois, after leading his team to the city championship and a No. 1 national ranking in USA Today.

​Upon graduation, Nick continued his exploits at the University of Illinois. After sitting out his freshman year, he turned in two outstanding seasons, teaming with future NBA players Kendall Gill and Marcus Liberty. As a junior, Anderson averaged 18.0 points and 7.9 rebounds to help lead the Illini to a 31-5 record and a berth in the 1989 NCAA Final Four.

Anderson entered the NBA Draft in 1989, and was selected as the eleventh pick of the first round by the Orlando Magic. Nick went on to be the Magic’s all-time leader in many categories, such as games played (692), minutes played (22,400), points (10,650), steals (1,004) and second in rebounds to Shaquille O’Neal with 3,667. He ended his career in 2002.

Anderson scored more than 10,000 points in a Magic uniform but he’ll be remembered just as much for the assists he gave off the court. During his career, Nick was involved in numerous contributions in his community. He founded 'Nickels for Nick', a program that raises money to support Meals on Wheels and provided financial assistance to Asia Akins and her daughter after their apartment burnt down in the fall of 2000. Some around the Orlando community dubbed him “Saint Nick” for his generosity that earned him the inaugural Rich and Helen DeVos Community Enrichment Award in 1996. Anderson displayed an especially heartfelt touch around the holidays, planning Thanksgiving dinners for senior citizens and leading Christmas toy drives for kids who otherwise might have been forgotten.

Anderson recently accepted a job with the Magic in the team's community relations department. Nick recently got married and keeps very busy with his three children, including a 16-year-old son, Joshua, who’s following nicely in the family business of basketball.