By Sports Director Kolton Kennon
If you are a Kansas basketball fan, then you know the name Nick Collison. An All-American at KU, Nick Collison’s basketball journey began in Iowa, where he made a name for himself as a McDonald’s All-American at Iowa Falls High School. He then committed to the University of Kansas to play for Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams. In Lawrence, Collison developed into one of the program’s most respected players. After college, he was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics, who later became the Oklahoma City Thunder. He spent his entire NBA career with the franchise before transitioning into a front office role, continuing his long-standing connection to the team.
Collison sat down for a Zoom interview with Sports Director Kolton Kennon to talk about his time at KU, his NBA career, how the game has evolved, and what it’s like working in the front office today.
“I don’t know if I would’ve had the success I did without spending four years at KU,” Collison said. “I really took in what it meant to play for Kansas.”
Nick Collison acknowledges that the game has changed a lot since his playing days, but he credits Kansas for shaping him into the player — and person — he became. While he never reached the pinnacle of winning a national championship, his college career was nothing short of impressive. He spent four standout seasons at KU, earning Big 12 Player of the Year honors and being named to the All-Big 12 team twice.
“KU has been historic for a century really, and I’m glad I got to be a part of it,” he said. “Being connected to something with that much history was really special. Though I didn’t play for Coach Self, he’s done a great job welcoming former players — even those who didn’t play for him,” said Collison.
Following his time at Kansas, Collison entered the long process of draft workouts, traveling all over the country to meet with various NBA teams.
“My agent told me he thought I was going to either go to New York with the 9th pick, or go to Seattle in the 12th spot in the draft.”
Collison’s agent was right. New York passed on the big man from KU and selected Mike Sweetney from Georgetown. That left Collison available at No. 12, and the Seattle SuperSonics took him.
Collison averaged 8.1 points and 7 rebounds during his time in Seattle, before the team announced it would relocate to Oklahoma City.
“When we found out Seattle sold the team in 2006, it was tough and there was a lot of stuff behind the scenes, it was hard to play during that time. Seattle was the first big city I lived in, so it was difficult to leave. But when we got to OKC, the community did a great job embracing us. We had early success and it was some of the most fun times I had playing. The city always showed up for us.”
Being a part of multiple teams that made playoff runs — including one that reached the NBA Finals — made it easy for Oklahoma City to support its team. Later in his career, Collison saw how much the game was evolving.
“It looks like a whole new game now if you watch, a lot more isolation scoring and everyone can shoot 3’s. I am glad I played in an era that really matched my playing style. Towards the end of my career, I just couldn’t really guard anyone due to how much the game was changing.”
Recognizing the shifts in the game and his evolving role, Nick Collison retired after a long and dedicated career—spending four seasons in Seattle and ten in Oklahoma City. He concluded his playing days with career averages of 5.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assist per game. Though his time on the court had ended, Collison’s bond with Oklahoma City remained strong. Nicknamed “Mr. Thunder,” he became the first—and so far, only—player to have his jersey retired by the franchise, an honor bestowed in March 2019. Following his retirement, Collison transitioned into a front office role, serving as a special assistant to Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.
“I never really retired or left the team. Right when I stopped playing, I moved to a front office role, and it was pretty small my first year after playing, but the last four years I have been really involved. I am really involved with the draft and the scouting process of things.”
Even though he never won a championship during his playing days, Collison can now proudly call himself an NBA champion — this time as a key figure behind the scenes of the Thunder’s 2025 title run.
Collison is widely regarded as one of the most respected and accomplished players in both Thunder and Kansas basketball history — a legacy where his name forever hangs in the rafters.