University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Nicolas Claxton
February 12, 2018 | Men's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Nicolas Claxton loves his mom's Cajun cornbread. The 6-foot-11 freshman forward on the Georgia men's basketball team also likes to sing and dance a bit, though he wishes he was better at both.
Claxton, from Greenville, S.C., is the son of Charles and Nicole Claxton, both of whom attended Georgia, where Charles was an All-SEC center for the Bulldogs in the early 1990s. Just like his father, Nicolas is making an impact in his first season, having recently earned a starting spot. He's also second on the team with 27 blocked shots, behind only senior Yante Maten's 31.
Nicolas recently took a few minutes before practice to have a Quick Chat about dunks, growth spurts, playing wide receiver and more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: As a guy that's never come close to dunking a basketball, I'm curious about the experiences of those that can. What do you remember about your first dunk?
Claxton: My first dunk, I think, was in 10th grade. I was a late bloomer. I remember it was in practice.
Frierson: How satisfying was that moment?
Claxton: It was good but it was also kind of painful, because at that time I was having a lot of knee problems.
Frierson: How tall were you back then?
Claxton: In 10th grade ... that was when I hit my growth spurt, so I got up to about 6-6 or 6-7 that year.
Frierson: Wow, how old were you when you hit 6 feet?
Claxton: I think I was in eighth grade when that happened.
Frierson: What are the challenges of being that big that young, and only getting bigger? I guess clothes would be a problem.
Claxton: I grew out of a lot clothes and pants wouldn't fit me for very long. I also had a lot of knee problems, like I said, because I hit such a quick growth spurt that my body was kind of in shock. Now I'm getting over all of that.
Frierson: Do you feel like you're still growing into your body?
Claxton: Oh, most definitely. I'm still filling out my frame.
Frierson: What's the most creative thing you do, or something creative you wish you could do?
Claxton: I wish I could sing, I wish I could sing and dance a little bit better. I do my thing every now and then, though.
Frierson: I get the sense that you can probably hold your own more than a little bit. Is there anybody on the team that's particularly good when it comes to singing or dancing?
Claxton: Tyree (Crump), he's very talented. He could probably go into the business of singing if he wanted to.
Frierson: Now that we're pretty far along in the season, is there a part of playing college ball that's surprised you?
Claxton: I wouldn't say that, but when we first got started, the intensity of the practices and how we didn't get breaks like we did in high school, that was definitely a change. And having to guard and defend Yante all the time, that made me a much better player, but it was extremely tough for me.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Claxton: My mother's Cajun cornbread.
Frierson: That sounds good just hearing those two words.
Claxton: It's great. I don't know all the ingredients, but just the love she puts into it is part of what makes it so good.
Frierson: What's something that could disappear from your plate forever and you'd be fine with that?
Claxton: Greens. I force myself to eat broccoli and stuff like that, but I'm not a big fan. I'm starting to eat more salads and stuff, though.
Frierson: If you could play any other sport for Georgia, what would it be?
Claxton: Oh, football, for sure. If I was a few inches shorter, I think Coach Smart could use me as a receiver, because I've got some really good hands. I've kind of grown too tall now, but I feel like I could most definitely be a receiver.
Frierson: I think Georgia could probably still use you on the goal line. You against a 6-foot cornerback, that would be the ultimate just throw it up and let you go get it.
Claxton: Oh, yeah. I feel like I might have a little bit of a problem getting off the line, but other than that I'd be good.
Frierson: Did you ever play football?
Claxton: I played for a little bit but I think I stopped around the fifth grade. I just decided to focus on basketball.
Frierson: What's something you've tried to get really good at but have never even come close?
Claxton: I don't know, anything I've tried to do I either pick it up pretty well or I just drop it.
Frierson: What's something you've dropped?
Claxton: I did try playing the piano once, actually, when I was younger. I decided that wasn't for me.
Frierson: Who's the most interesting or funniest guy on the team?
Claxton: I feel like we're all funny in our own way. My roommate on the road is Tyree and we have a lot of good times chopping it up together.
Frierson: Take me back home for a second. When you walk in the front door of your house, what hits you right away and lets you know you're home?
Claxton: I just feel the love as soon as I walk in. I love Greenville, I love being home and I love just seeing my family. That's home.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Nicolas Claxton loves his mom's Cajun cornbread. The 6-foot-11 freshman forward on the Georgia men's basketball team also likes to sing and dance a bit, though he wishes he was better at both.
Claxton, from Greenville, S.C., is the son of Charles and Nicole Claxton, both of whom attended Georgia, where Charles was an All-SEC center for the Bulldogs in the early 1990s. Just like his father, Nicolas is making an impact in his first season, having recently earned a starting spot. He's also second on the team with 27 blocked shots, behind only senior Yante Maten's 31.
Nicolas recently took a few minutes before practice to have a Quick Chat about dunks, growth spurts, playing wide receiver and more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: As a guy that's never come close to dunking a basketball, I'm curious about the experiences of those that can. What do you remember about your first dunk?
Claxton: My first dunk, I think, was in 10th grade. I was a late bloomer. I remember it was in practice.
Frierson: How satisfying was that moment?
Claxton: It was good but it was also kind of painful, because at that time I was having a lot of knee problems.
Frierson: How tall were you back then?
Claxton: In 10th grade ... that was when I hit my growth spurt, so I got up to about 6-6 or 6-7 that year.
Frierson: Wow, how old were you when you hit 6 feet?
Claxton: I think I was in eighth grade when that happened.
Frierson: What are the challenges of being that big that young, and only getting bigger? I guess clothes would be a problem.
Claxton: I grew out of a lot clothes and pants wouldn't fit me for very long. I also had a lot of knee problems, like I said, because I hit such a quick growth spurt that my body was kind of in shock. Now I'm getting over all of that.
Frierson: Do you feel like you're still growing into your body?
Claxton: Oh, most definitely. I'm still filling out my frame.
Frierson: What's the most creative thing you do, or something creative you wish you could do?
Claxton: I wish I could sing, I wish I could sing and dance a little bit better. I do my thing every now and then, though.
Frierson: I get the sense that you can probably hold your own more than a little bit. Is there anybody on the team that's particularly good when it comes to singing or dancing?
Claxton: Tyree (Crump), he's very talented. He could probably go into the business of singing if he wanted to.
Frierson: Now that we're pretty far along in the season, is there a part of playing college ball that's surprised you?
Claxton: I wouldn't say that, but when we first got started, the intensity of the practices and how we didn't get breaks like we did in high school, that was definitely a change. And having to guard and defend Yante all the time, that made me a much better player, but it was extremely tough for me.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Claxton: My mother's Cajun cornbread.
Frierson: That sounds good just hearing those two words.
Claxton: It's great. I don't know all the ingredients, but just the love she puts into it is part of what makes it so good.
Frierson: What's something that could disappear from your plate forever and you'd be fine with that?
Claxton: Greens. I force myself to eat broccoli and stuff like that, but I'm not a big fan. I'm starting to eat more salads and stuff, though.
Frierson: If you could play any other sport for Georgia, what would it be?
Claxton: Oh, football, for sure. If I was a few inches shorter, I think Coach Smart could use me as a receiver, because I've got some really good hands. I've kind of grown too tall now, but I feel like I could most definitely be a receiver.
Frierson: I think Georgia could probably still use you on the goal line. You against a 6-foot cornerback, that would be the ultimate just throw it up and let you go get it.
Claxton: Oh, yeah. I feel like I might have a little bit of a problem getting off the line, but other than that I'd be good.
Frierson: Did you ever play football?
Claxton: I played for a little bit but I think I stopped around the fifth grade. I just decided to focus on basketball.
Frierson: What's something you've tried to get really good at but have never even come close?
Claxton: I don't know, anything I've tried to do I either pick it up pretty well or I just drop it.
Frierson: What's something you've dropped?
Claxton: I did try playing the piano once, actually, when I was younger. I decided that wasn't for me.
Frierson: Who's the most interesting or funniest guy on the team?
Claxton: I feel like we're all funny in our own way. My roommate on the road is Tyree and we have a lot of good times chopping it up together.
Frierson: Take me back home for a second. When you walk in the front door of your house, what hits you right away and lets you know you're home?
Claxton: I just feel the love as soon as I walk in. I love Greenville, I love being home and I love just seeing my family. That's home.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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