(1963-04-13)April 13, 1963 San Mateo, California, U.S.
Died
August 16, 1987(1987-08-16) (aged 24) Romulus, Michigan, U.S.
Listed height
7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
Listed weight
225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school
Hillsdale (San Mateo, California)
College
Santa Clara (1981–1985)
NBA draft
1985: 2nd round, 32nd overall pick
Selected by the Phoenix Suns
Playing career
1985–1987
Position
Center
Number
30
Career history
1985–1987
Phoenix Suns
Career highlights and awards
2× First-team All-WCC (1984, 1985)
No. 32 retired by Santa Clara Broncos
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Nicolaas Peter Vanos (April 13, 1963 – August 16, 1987) was an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The San Mateo, California, native was selected 32nd by the Suns in the 1985 NBA draft, after playing for Hillsdale High School and collegiately at Santa Clara University. He played for the Suns as a center on the team.[1]
His career with the Suns lasted only two years before his death. On August 16, 1987, Vanos and his fiancée, Carolyn Cohen, boarded Northwest Airlines Flight 255, after visiting his fiancée's parents, for a trip to Phoenix, Arizona.[2] The plane crashed after takeoff from the Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Michigan, killing 154 passengers and crew, including Vanos and his fiancée, as well as two motorists.[3]
^"Nick Vanos Remembered: 1963-1987". NBA.com. February 3, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
^"The parents of Phoenix Suns basketball player Nick Vanos,..." United Press International. October 29, 1987. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
^"Welcome to Northwest Flight 255 Memorial". Northwest. Retrieved August 24, 2008.
crew, including Vanos and his fiancée, as well as two motorists. List of basketball players who died during their careers "NickVanos Remembered: 1963-1987"...
League game". ESPN.com. March 26, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018. "Suns' Vanos Among Victims in Detroit Jet Crash : Popular Center, 24, Was Expected to...
that time. With a drug scandal and the loss of promising young center NickVanos, who was killed in the crash of Northwest Airlines Flight 255, the franchise...
the passengers were from the Phoenix metropolitan area; one of them was NickVanos, an NBA center for the Phoenix Suns. Among the deceased were five foreigners:...
Garfield Heard, were involved in an infamous drug scandal, young center NickVanos died in a 1987 plane crash, and, from 1985 through 1988, the Suns failed...
Alando Tucker (2007–2009) Fred Saunders (1974–1976) Ron Lee (1976–1979) NickVanos (1985–1987) Clifford Robinson (1997–2001) Maciej Lampe (2004–2005) Earl...
(Sr.) 2 31 Manute Bol C Sudan Washington Bullets Bridgeport (Fr.) 2 32 NickVanos C United States Phoenix Suns Santa Clara (Sr.) 2 33 Greg Stokes F/C United...
Liberty Baptist 1985 1 10 Ed Pinckney United States Villanova 1985 2 32 NickVanos United States Santa Clara 1985 3 56 Jerry Everett Lamar 1985 4 78 Granger...
Vandersloot, current WNBA player with the New York Liberty (Gonzaga) NickVanos, former NBA player, (1985–87) (Santa Clara) Soccer: Conor Casey, 2010...
Schidlof, 65, Austrian-British violist, co-founder of the Amadeus Quartet. NickVanos, 24, American NBA basketballer, plane crash. Charles H. Wesley, 95, American...
Bopper" Richardson also died in this accident (see The Day the Music Died). NickVanos United States 1987 NBA player for the Phoenix Suns Northwest Airlines...
Area athletes including Dave Stieb, Robin White, Mervyn Fernandez, and NickVanos. On March 8, 1985, LaMonte negotiated the longest baseball contract at...
Michael English, Christian musician Tracy Camilla Johns, actress April 13 – NickVanos, basketball player (d. 1987) April 16 – Jimmy Osmond, American singer...
one (4-year old Cecelia Cichan) of the 156 people on board (among them NickVanos, a center for the Phoenix Suns). August 19 – ABC News chief Middle East...
player to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine Mike Stewart NickVanos Jalen Williams Santa Clara University has had a number of notable American...
Margaretha van Os (1779–1862), Dutch flower painter, daughter of Jan van Os NickVanos (1963–1987), American basketball player Pieter van Os (1776–1839), Dutch...
girl survives. Among the dead is National Basketball Association player NickVanos. It remains the deadliest aviation accident with a sole survivor in American...
Johnny High, American NBA player (Phoenix Suns) (born 1957) August 16 — NickVanos, American NBA player (Phoenix Suns) (born 1963) 1987 in sports Sports...
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