Nickname: “Flick”
Introduction
Who is the Denver Nuggets all time leading scorer? Oh easy, Carmelo Anthony. Wait, no? How? Melo was a bucket, he’s gotta be it. Hold on let me look it up. Oh. Oh, it’s Alex English? Who the **** is Alex English?
Alex English has to be one of the most forgotten NBA stars of all time. He is often glossed over as he played in the same era as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dominique Wilkins, and Larry Bird. But make no mistake, this man walked so guys like Kevin Durant could run. Drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1976, the man nicknamed “Flick” rose to stardom in 1979 during his time with the Denver Nuggets. With Denver, nobody scored more total points than him in that 80s decade and he had eight consecutive All-Star appearances from 1982-1989. His prime, 1981-1989, showed him averaging 27 a game to go along with 51% from the field.
Why He Should Be Remembered
English’s lanky 6’8 frame combined with his high release point on his jumpers made his shot impossible to block. He was a demon in the mid-range, rarely ever taking a step back to shoot a three. He took 21,036 total shots in his career and only a measly 83 of those were from beyond the arc. Opponents knew where he was going to shoot from and yet, Old Alex rose up from the elbow and drilled it every time (Old Alex is a cool nickname too, right? Do we like that? Maybe not my best one, but it’s not that bad). English’s bucket-getting capabilities allowed him to become the first EVER player to score 2,000 points in eight consecutive seasons. His footwork, fundamentals, and overall high offensive IQ made him a nightly problem for opposing defenses.
Why He’s Not Remembered
Not only did English not shoot threes, but he also didn’t dunk a lot really. His game was not flashy at all, almost to the point that it was just flat out boring. Gaining attention while playing in the same era as a dude literally called the “Human Highlight Film,” can be quite difficult. English also never won a ring as his Nuggets teams were never on the same level as Magic’s Lakers or Hakeem’s Rockets. A reason for that could be the fact that these Nuggets teams never played defense and English was part of that problem too. As skilled as he was offensively, he wasn’t locking up anyone. A consistent, efficient player that only really scored and never had a lot of playoff success in an era with guys like Bird and Kareem? Yeah, I can see why people may forget about Old Alex (it’s going to stick, I swear. Just let it happen).
Where He Is Now
English dabbled in the coaching world of the NBA, being the assistant coach for numerous teams. He was also an actor too, starring in Amazing Grace and Chuck, playing a fictitious Boston Celtics star. Currently, he sits on the board of trustees at his alma mater, the University of South Carolina.
