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Nick Van Exel: Rest in peace to the gr8est owner in all of sports. Dr.Jerry Buss. #NBA Twitter @vanexel31

Los Angeles Lakers, Jerry Buss, Nick Van Exel 

A Texas jury has sentenced the 22-year-old son of former NBA player Nick Van Exel to 60 years in prison in the shooting death of a longtime friend. Nickey Maxwell Van Exel received the punishment Friday after his father wept on the witness stand and apologized to the family of Bradley Bassey Eyo. The same jury in Dallas County in North Texas found the younger Van Exel guilty of murder on Thursday. Prosecutors had sought a capital murder conviction. ESPN.com

Law, Nick Van Exel, Nickey Maxwell Van Exel 

A North Texas jury has found the 22-year-old son of former NBA player Nick Van Exel guilty of murder in the shooting death of a longtime friend. A Dallas County jury deliberated about 2½ hours before returning its guilty verdict Thursday against Nickey Maxwell Van Exel. The penalty phase begins Friday. Prosecutors had sought a capital murder conviction. They say Van Exel fatally shot Bradley Bassey Eyo in December 2010 and dumped his body at Lake Ray Hubbard on the eastern outskirts of Dallas. Van Exel's attorney had said the two were playing with a shotgun at Van Exel's Garland home, and that Van Exel didn't know the gun was loaded. Washington Examiner

Law, Nick Van Exel, Nickey Maxwell Van Exel 

Testimony is expected to begin this morning in the capital murder trial of the son of former Dallas Mavericks player Nick Van Exel. Nickey Van Exel, 22, is accused of fatally shooting his long-time friend Bradley Eyo in the chest with a shotgun at Van Exel’s Garland home in December 2010. According to police, Van Exel later confessed to the shooting, saying that he didn’t realize the gun was loaded. Dallas Morning News

Law, Nick Van Exel 

But what Van Exel did next never made sense to Eyo’s father, who told us back in 2010 he did not think the shooting was an accident. Van Exel, who faces up to life in prison, told police that after shooting his 23-year-old friend, he wrapped him in plastic, dragged him to his garage and loaded him into the back of his Chevrolet sport utility vehicle, according to police documents. Dallas Morning News

Law, Nick Van Exel 

The Atlanta Hawks announced today that Head Coach Larry Drew has added Kenny Atkinson to his staff as Assistant Coach/Player Development, and Bob Weiss as Assistant Coach/Consultant. They join Assistant Coaches Lester Conner and Bob Bender, and Player Development Instructor Nick Van Exel on the Hawks’ bench. In addition, Rick Sund has been named Senior Advisor, Basketball Operations, and Jeff Watkinson as Atlanta’s Strength and Conditioning Coach. HoopsWorld

Atlanta Hawks, Coaching, Lester Conner, Larry Drew, Nick Van Exel, Rick Sund, Kenny Atkinson 

When you think back to those Lakers teams, unfortunately you didn’t get a chance to get a ring with those guys, but those teams had you, Eddie Jones, Kobe, Shaq … There was a really strong collection of talent. What do you think about when you think about those teams? Nick Van Exel: Just young. We were just young. I was five [years] in the league when I got traded. Eddie was four, Shaq six, Kobe 2-3. We was just young. Young and dumb and just trying to find our way through it and unfortunately we didn’t get a chance, but there’s still some great memories." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Nick Van Exel 

Something I was always curious about as a fan growing up watching you: What was with your free-throw routine? "(Laughing). My free throw was, I shot free throws so bad from the normal stripe, when I missed I always hit the back of the rim. So, I decided to move back a little bit and it just became a natural shot. That was basically telling me my midrange game wasn’t as good as Sam Cassell’s midrange game, so I had to move back a little bit." Editor's Note: Van Exel finished with a 79.4 percent career mark from the foul line and had six seasons when he shot 80 percent or better. Did you come into the league doing that? Or when did you make that change? "I think I started it in Denver. But, I knew throughout my career, I was probably [shooting] in the 70s [percentage wise] from the line, so I knew I was a better free-throw shooter than that. I had to figure out someway so I moved back." And it went up once you did it? "Yes, I think I finished around 80 [percent], so I could have been better if I was smart enough early on. Like I said, I was young (laughing)." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Nick Van Exel 

Other than those who ran the treatment center that helped Herren turn his life around, the only people mentioned in Unguarded who actually kept Herren from destroying himself were Antonio McDyess and Nick Van Exel, veterans on the Nuggets team that drafted the guard. During training camp, McDyess and Van Exel pulled Herren aside and told him that they knew all about his struggles with addiction, and that he wouldn't be partying at all that season. Every night, he would be checking in with them, and when the Nuggets were on the road, he would be joining them for dinner instead of going out drinking. And it apparently worked. McDyess and Van Exel did what no coach, no family member, no friend, no mentor had been able to do for Herren: they held him accountable. When the Nuggets sent Herren to the Celtics, that support system was gone and Herren reverted. SB Nation

Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Nick Van Exel, Antonio McDyess, Chris Herren 

The son of a former Dallas Mavericks player has been charged with capital murder, accused of killing his friend and neighbor and dumping the body near a park by Lake Ray Hubbard. Nickey Van Exel, 20, is accused of fatally shooting Bradley Bassey Eyo early Sunday morning with what Van Exel claimed he thought was an unloaded shotgun, according to police documents. Van Exel, the son of former NBA guard Nick Van Exel, shot Eyo, 23, in the bedroom of Van Exel's Garland home, police said. He wrapped his friend's body in plastic, then dumped it about a half-mile from the home near a park on Lake Ray Hubbard's western shore, according to police. On Wednesday, Van Exel, accompanied by his attorney, turned himself in to Dallas police. He posted a $25,000 bail and was released from the Dallas County Jail late Thursday. Paul Johnson, Van Exel's attorney, told The Associated Press that his client told police he shot Eyo while the two were engaged in horseplay. Dallas Morning News

Law, Nick Van Exel 

After the shooting, Van Exel panicked and moved the body, Johnson said. "It's a real sad situation," Johnson said. "Emotions are running high, and, obviously, we recognize that some very bad decisions were made on how he responded." Dallas police Deputy Chief Craig Miller said the capital murder charge against Van Exel could be lowered to manslaughter. "We reserve the right to change the charges; right now that's not the case," Miller said. Dallas Morning News

Law, Nick Van Exel 

Nickey Van Exel, son of former Dallas Mavericks player Nick Van Exel, was arrested Wednesday night in connection with a recent murder. Bradley Bassey Eyo was found shot to death near Lake Ray Hubbard the day after Christmas. Investigators determined he was murdered at a Garland home in the 6900 block of George Brown Drive and his body later dumped at the lake, less than a mile away. Police said 20-year-old Nickey Van Exel turned himself in Wednesday and confessed to the crime. He's a neighbor of the victim. wfaa.com

Law, Nick Van Exel 

Nick Van Exel has been in Carmelo Anthony’s position. Nearly nine years ago, Van Exel wanted the Denver Nuggets to trade him. They granted his wish. He now regrets it. The star of a struggling Nuggets team during the 2001-02 season, Van Exel revealed his frustrations publicly after a loss in Cleveland. He told reporters he was “sick of losing” and had already asked for a trade. “If I could do it again, I probably would have stuck it out,” said Van Exel, now a player development coach with the Atlanta Hawks. “I was an emotional player. I was so stubborn. I didn’t back away from it. “I was hoping for a trade, but at the same time I felt like I let a lot of people down.” Yahoo! Sports

Denver Nuggets, Carmelo Anthony, Nick Van Exel 

Anthony has never said publicly he wants a trade, in part because the NBA now fines players who make such demands public. But he also has refused to sign the three-year, $64 million extension the Nuggets have offered, and his representatives, league sources said, have made clear to team officials he wants out. “He’s doing it the right way,” Van Exel said. “It’s tough. He wants to compete for a championship. But he sees all the guys he came into the league with making moves, and he wants to win.” Yahoo! Sports

Denver Nuggets, Carmelo Anthony, Nick Van Exel 

They called Nick Van Exel “Nick the Quick” during his playing days because of his speed, and in that way Jeff Teague is similar to Van Exel. But Van Exel also had what L.D. calls an “edge” and “played with a chip on his shoulder.” Teague doesn’t have that so L.D. brought in Van Exel to help him find it. “We call it ‘the dog’ in the NBA,” Van Exel said. “We are trying to bring that dog out of him.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Nick Van Exel, Jeff Teague 

These things don’t come naturally for Teague. “He’s kind of a quiet kid,” Van Exel said. “He likes to joke around and have fun. But there are times when somebody makes him mad, and he is just blowing by guys. And we are like, ‘Man, you’ve got to to that all the time.’ “He can do it. He has those skills. We are thinking about maybe going up to him and making him mad before every game, making up stuff just to get him going.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Nick Van Exel, Jeff Teague 

Atlanta Hawks: Hawks add Nick Van Exel to staff as Player Development Instructor. Check out Hawks.com later today for the official release and commentary Twitter

Atlanta Hawks, Nick Van Exel