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Best Notre Dame NBA Players of All Time

By Bobby Norell

Mar 22, 2015; Notre Dame, IN, USA; The Notre Dame Fighting Irish logo on a chair before the game against the DePaul Blue Demons at Edmund P. Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2015; Notre Dame, IN, USA; The Notre Dame Fighting Irish logo on a chair before the game against the DePaul Blue Demons at Edmund P. Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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John Paxson – Point Guard

Paxson played for the Irish from 1979-1983. He helped lead the Irish to two consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in 1980 and 1981. In his senior season Paxson led the Irish in scoring and assists with 17.7 PPG and 4.7 assists. Paxson was a two-time All American. He is in the top ten in Notre Dame history in assists and steals. Paxson was one of the better shooters Irish history as he finished he career with a .526 shooting percentage.

Paxson enjoyed a serviceable 10 year NBA career and was part of some very successful teams. He was drafted 19th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1983 draft. He only spent two seasons in San Antonio before signing with the Chicago Bulls before the 1985-86 season. Paxson was the point guard on the Bulls’ first three-peat. The highlight of his career came in the 1993 NBA Finals. In game six of the Finals against the Phoenix Suns the Bulls were down by two and Paxson, not Michael Jordan, nailed the game winning three to seal the third straight championship for the Bulls. 

Paxson is not on this list for his stats as he only averaged 7.2 points and 3.6 assists, but he’s on here for playing a key role on some very successful teams. Among Notre Dame NBA players, he ranks 9th in points and 7th in FG%.

Paxson currently is the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Bulls.

Next: Orlando Woolridge

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