Jim Paxson
James Joseph Paxson Jr. (born July 9, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player, executive, and coach who spent 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a guard-forward, most notably with the Portland Trail Blazers.[1] Born in Kettering, Ohio, to former NBA player Jim Paxson Sr., he excelled at Archbishop Alter High School before starring at the University of Dayton, where he was a three-time team MVP, earned All-America honors as a senior after averaging over 23 points per game, and finished fifth in career scoring with 1,945 points.[1][2] Selected 12th overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers out of Dayton, Paxson quickly became a key contributor, playing eight-plus seasons with the team from 1979 to 1988 and helping them reach the playoffs multiple times.[3] Over his NBA career, which also included two seasons with the Boston Celtics from 1988 to 1990, he appeared in 784 regular-season games, averaging 14.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 49.8% from the field and 80.7% from the free-throw line.[4] His standout years came in the mid-1980s, when he earned NBA All-Star selections in 1983 and 1984, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 1984 after averaging 21.3 points per game.[5] Following his playing retirement in 1990, Paxson transitioned into basketball operations, serving as an offensive skills coach for the Trail Blazers in 1993–1994 and later as general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1999 to 2005.[1] He has also worked as a consultant for the Chicago Bulls since 2006, collaborating with his brother John Paxson, an NBA executive.[1] In October 2025, Paxson returned to his alma mater as senior advisor for basketball operations at the University of Dayton.[6] Among his honors are inductions into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame (2007), Oregon Sports Hall of Fame (1998), and the Atlantic 10 Conference Legends class (2016).[1][5]Early Life and College Career
Early Life and Family
James Joseph Paxson Jr. was born on July 9, 1957, in Kettering, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton.[4] His father, James Edward Paxson Sr., was a professional basketball player who had a brief NBA career, playing for the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1956-57 season and the Cincinnati Royals in 1957-58, where he averaged 8.0 points per game across 138 total appearances.[7] Paxson Sr., a 6-foot-6 guard-forward from the University of Dayton, instilled a deep passion for basketball in his family after transitioning to a career in the insurance industry following his playing days.[8] This heritage profoundly influenced the Paxson household, with basketball becoming a central activity; Paxson Sr. coached his sons and emphasized fundamentals, fostering their early development in the sport.[9] Paxson grew up alongside his younger brother, John Paxson, born in 1960, who followed a similar path in basketball, becoming an NBA player with the Chicago Bulls and later serving as the team's executive vice president of basketball operations.[10] The brothers' shared upbringing in a basketball-centric family provided constant exposure to the game, from pickup sessions at home to attending their father's alumni events at the University of Dayton.[11] Paxson's early basketball prowess emerged at Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering, Ohio, where he was a standout player under coach Joe Petrocelli, earning three-time All-Ohio honors and leading the Knights to two state tournament appearances during his tenure from 1971 to 1975.[12] These high school experiences solidified his commitment to the sport, preparing him for his next step at the University of Dayton.[13]University of Dayton
Paxson played college basketball for the Dayton Flyers from 1975 to 1979. He was a three-time team MVP and earned consensus second-team All-American honors as a senior in 1979 after averaging 23.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and playing 37.2 minutes per game.[14][1] Over his career, he appeared in 108 games, scoring 1,945 points (fifth all-time at Dayton), recording 515 assists (fourth all-time) and 168 steals (fourth all-time), while averaging a school-record 37.7 minutes per game.[14][15] He was also named a 1979 Academic All-American.[15]NBA Playing Career
Portland Trail Blazers
Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 12th overall pick in the 1979 NBA draft, Paxson spent the first eight-plus seasons of his career with the team, establishing himself as a reliable scoring guard-forward.[4] Over 647 regular-season games from 1979 to 1988, he averaged 15.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 49.8% from the field.[4] His scoring peaked in the 1983–84 season, when he averaged 21.6 points per game en route to All-NBA Second Team honors.[4] Paxson earned NBA All-Star selections in 1983 and 1984, showcasing his efficiency and versatility alongside teammates like Jim Paxson and Clyde Drexler in later years.[3] He set a career high with 41 points in a game against the Chicago Bulls on March 16, 1984.[16] During his tenure, Portland made the playoffs in seven of his first eight full seasons, though the team never advanced past the second round, with notable first-round exits including a 0–2 sweep by the Seattle SuperSonics in 1983, where Paxson averaged 25.5 points per game.[17] In 33 playoff games with Portland, he averaged 14.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.[4]Boston Celtics
Jim Paxson was acquired by the Boston Celtics via trade from the Portland Trail Blazers on February 23, 1988, in exchange for guard Jerry Sichting and a future second-round draft pick.[18] This move brought the 30-year-old veteran guard to a contending team seeking backcourt depth amid injuries to key players like Dennis Johnson.[19] Paxson immediately integrated into the rotation, playing the remainder of the 1987–88 regular season and contributing to Boston's postseason run. Over his three seasons with the Celtics (1987–88 through 1989–90), Paxson appeared in 157 regular-season games primarily as a reliable reserve guard, often spelling Johnson and providing efficient scoring and ball-handling.[4] He averaged 7.6 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.2 rebounds per game while shooting 46.5% from the field overall.[4] His minutes peaked at 20.0 per game in 1988–89, where he posted 8.6 points and 1.9 assists, showcasing his value as a spot-up shooter and secondary facilitator in Boston's triangle offense variations under coach K.C. Jones and later Jim Rodgers.[4] By his final year, Paxson's role expanded to include 25 starts amid team transitions, though his production dipped to 6.4 points per game.[20] In the playoffs, Paxson proved particularly effective upon arrival, averaging 7.8 points in 15 games during the 1988 postseason as the Celtics reached the Eastern Conference finals before falling to the Detroit Pistons.[17] Notably, in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks, he averaged 10.3 points per game off the bench, helping stabilize the guard rotation during a grueling seven-game series.[21] The following postseason in 1989–90, he appeared in five first-round games against the Pistons, averaging 3.8 points as Boston was swept.[17] Despite the lack of deep playoff success during his tenure, Paxson's steady contributions supported a veteran core featuring Larry Bird and Kevin McHale. Paxson concluded his 11-year NBA playing career after the 1989–90 season with the Celtics at age 33.[4]NBA Career Statistics
Regular Season
Jim Paxson appeared in 784 regular-season games over 11 NBA seasons, accumulating 11,199 points for a career average of 14.3 points per game.[4] He also grabbed 1,593 rebounds at 2.0 per game, dished out 2,300 assists at 2.9 per game, and averaged 1.2 steals per game.[4] These totals reflect his role as a reliable scoring guard with playmaking ability, contributing efficiently to his teams' offenses.[4] Paxson's advanced metrics highlight his consistent productivity, with a career player efficiency rating (PER) of 16.1, true shooting percentage (TS%) of 55.3%, and 53.7 total win shares.[4] He averaged 27.0 minutes per game, shooting 49.8% from the field, 22.5% from three-point range, and 80.7% from the free-throw line, while committing 1.5 turnovers per game.[4] The following table provides a year-by-year breakdown of his regular-season performance, focusing on games played, average minutes, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and turnovers per game:| Season | Team(s) | G | MPG | FG% | FT% | TOV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-80 | POR | 72 | 17.6 | .411 | .711 | 1.3 |
| 1980-81 | POR | 79 | 34.2 | .536 | .734 | 1.7 |
| 1981-82 | POR | 82 | 33.6 | .526 | .767 | 1.8 |
| 1982-83 | POR | 81 | 33.8 | .515 | .812 | 1.9 |
| 1983-84 | POR | 81 | 33.2 | .514 | .841 | 1.8 |
| 1984-85 | POR | 68 | 33.1 | .514 | .790 | 1.6 |
| 1985-86 | POR | 75 | 25.7 | .470 | .889 | 1.5 |
| 1986-87 | POR | 72 | 25.0 | .460 | .806 | 1.5 |
| 1987-88 | POR/BOS | 45 | 17.8 | .460 | .861 | 0.9 |
| 1988-89 | BOS | 57 | 20.0 | .454 | .816 | 1.0 |
| 1989-90 | BOS | 72 | 17.8 | .453 | .811 | 0.8 |
| Career | 784 | 27.0 | .498 | .807 | 1.5 |
Playoffs
Jim Paxson appeared in 9 NBA playoffs over his 11-season career, playing a total of 53 postseason games primarily as a scoring guard off the bench or in a starting role during his Portland years. His career playoff totals include 554 points (10.5 points per game), 80 rebounds (1.5 rebounds per game), and 100 assists (1.9 assists per game), reflecting a solid but secondary contribution in high-pressure environments.[4] Paxson's postseason performances varied by series, with standout scoring in Portland's deep 1983 run, where he averaged 23.3 points per game across 7 games played, including 22.4 points per game in the Western Conference Finals (5 games) against the Los Angeles Lakers. In the 1984 first-round series against Phoenix, he delivered 22.8 points per game over 5 games, showcasing his mid-range shooting efficiency. Later, in Portland's 1986 first-round loss to the Denver Nuggets (3-1 series), his output was 10.5 points per game in 4 games, aligning with a more distributed offensive load.[17][22] Upon joining the Boston Celtics in 1988, Paxson's role shifted to deep bench contributor, averaging 3.3 points per game in 15 playoff games across three series (vs. New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons), though he provided timely scoring in key moments, such as spot-up jumpers during tight contests. His overall playoff field goal percentage stood at 45.1%, below his regular-season mark of 49.8% but indicative of a more selective shooting role amid tougher defenses—his postseason scoring dipped below his career regular-season average of 14.3 points per game, highlighting the intensity of playoff matchups.[4]| Season | Team | Series | Games Played | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-83 | POR | Multiple Rounds | 7 | 23.3 | 2.1 | 2.6 |
| 1983-84 | POR | First Round vs. PHX | 5 | 22.8 | 3.8 | 2.4 |
| 1985-86 | POR | First Round vs. DEN | 4 | 10.5 | 1.0 | 3.8 |
| 1987-88 | BOS | Eastern Conference Playoffs (vs. NYK, ATL, DET) | 15 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 |