Notre Dame, 1983
• 1982 Academic All-America®
• 1983 Academic All-America®
John Paxson was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Hall of Fame in 2005.
Former Notre Dame basketball star John Paxson comes from a basketball-playing family. His father, Jim Paxson, Sr., played in the NBA for two years in the 1950s and his brother, Jim Paxson, Jr., played for 11 years before becoming general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This Dayton, Ohio native made his own mark on the court when he played point guard for the Fighting Irish from 1979 to 1983. Paxson was the third basketball player in Notre Dame’s history to be named an Academic All-America® more than once. He first earned the honor after his standout junior season when he averaged 16.4 points per game and 9.9 assists. As a senior, Paxson averaged a career-high 17.7 points per game along with 112 assists on the season and his second Academic All-American selection. The Irish earned NCAA tournament bids in 1980 and 1981 with Paxson’s leadership. He finished his career with 1,366 points, ranking 19th all-time in Notre Dame history.
Paxson graduated from Notre Dame in 1983 with a degree in business administration and a 3.17 cumulative GPA. That same year he was drafted 19th in the first round of the NBA Draft and spent two seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. He was traded to the Chicago Bulls in 1986 and was a major factor in their dominance of the NBA in the 1990s. He was a part of the 1991, 1992 and 1993 NBA Champion teams and is best known for his championship-winning shot in Game 6 of the 1993 NBA Finals. Paxson sank a three-pointer with 3.9 seconds remaining to give the Bulls a 99-98 lead and their third consecutive NBA title.
After hanging up his NBA jersey Paxson served as the Bulls assistant coach during the 1995-1996 season and then went into broadcasting. In April 2003, Paxson returned to his roots and was hired as the General Manager of the Chicago Bulls.