Anchorage’s Daishen Nix stars in NBA G League Finals, emerges as champion

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - After a year filled with highs and lows for Anchorage-raised professional basketball player Daishen Nix, his season ended in celebration. The 20-year-old Nix starred for the Rio Grand Valley Vipers in the NBA G League Finals, who Beat the Delaware Blue Coats for the championship of the NBA’s developmental league.

The last time Nix played for an Anchorage-based basketball team, he was a student at Mears Middle School. Nix then starred at Trinity International High School in Las Vegas before playing with the G League’s Ignite team, featuring his Rockets teammate Jalen Green.

Nix then went undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft before signing to the Philadelphia 76ers Summer League team, where he was eventually cut. He then signed a G League contract with Houston Rockets, made his NBA debut, and was sent back down to the G League.

However, Nix found his home for the 2021-22 season when he signed a contract with the Houston Rocket’s G League affiliate Rio Grande Valley. The two-way contracts, allow players to move up and down as needed between the NBA and G League. Throughout the season, Nix was able to see action in 24 games at the highest level of basketball in the world.

The gritty 6 foot 4 inch guard’s consistent on-court performance could not be ignored by the Rockets after Nix put up averages of 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game with the Vipers. The Rockets decided to convert his rookie deal into a four-year contract. But there was still unfinished business for the 2021-22 season — winning a G League championship with Rio Grande Valley.

In a best-of-three series with Delaware, Nix made a statement during the first game by dropping a triple-double with 31 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in a herculean performance that helped the Vipers secure a commanding145-128 victory. In the closeout game that clinched the title, Nix tallied 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as the Vipers hoisted the trophy.

Nix becomes the second Alaskan to win an NBA Developmental League championship behind West Anchorage’s Ramon Harris with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in 2015.

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