Lakers Season Countdown: 10 days, Norm Nixon

We're getting ready for a brand new season of Los Angeles Lakers basketball, so to count down the days we'll be looking at the best Lakers to wear the number. We'll continue at 10 days until the regular season begins, with the All-Star who was traded to give Magic Johnson a bigger role.

Who wore it the best: Norm Nixon

(Credit: Focus On Sports, Getty Images)

Norm Nixon was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 22nd overall pick in the 1977 NBA draft. He is a 2-time All-Star and helped the Lakers win Championships in 1980 & 1982. Although Magic Johnson is mostly remembered for being one of the best point guards to ever play, he didn't start his career as the Lakers starting point guard. That honor belonged to Norm Nixon. Norm actually led the team in assists during the 1980 Championship season.

From 1980 to 1983, Norm Nixon and Magic Johnson may have been the best assisting duo to ever play together. Over that 4 year span, Nixon averaged 8.0 assists while Magic averaged 9.0. Although Norm was a key contributor to the Lakers, GM Jerry West wanted to get the ball in Magic's hands more often. To do this, West traded Norm to the San Diego Clippers before the 1983-84 season, in exchange for the draft rights to Byron Scott. The following year, Magic would see his assists average go up to 13, while Norm's went up to 11 and saw him lead the league in total assists for the year.

Who wore it last: Steve Nash

Steve Nash was selected in the 1996 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns with the 15th overall pick. Nash played in Phoenix for 2 years before he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in a 1998 Draft day trade. After 6 years in Dallas, Nash would return to Phoenix as a free agent where he would see the most successful years of his career. In the next 8 years in Phoenix, Nash led the NBA in assist average for 5 seasons, was a 6-time All-Star & 2-time MVP.

After the 2011-12 season in which the Suns were not very good and were looking to move on from their All-Star point guard, the Suns executed a sign-and-trade with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers also added All-Star Dwight Howard that offseason and many expected the Lakers to dominate in the Western Conference. However, Nash would break his leg in the second game of the 2012-13 season, and he would never be the same. Over the next two seasons, Nash would appear in only 65 games, averaging 11.4 points & 6.4 assists in 29.8 minutes per game.

#10 - Who has worn it:

Herm Schaefer (1950)

Corky Calhoun (1975-1976)

Norm Nixon (1978-1983)

Larry Drew (1990-1991)

Tyronn Lue (1999-2001)

Lindsey Hunter (2002)

Vladamir Radmanovic (2007-2009)

Trey Johnson (2011)

Steve Nash (2013-2015)

Jonathan Holmes (2016 - future)