PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Steve Mix spent 13 years in the NBA, most of that time with the 76ers. He was a key player on some great teams, and then enjoyed a long career as a Sixers television broadcaster.
Mix was a star in college at Toledo, and actually had his number retired by the Rockets. He was then drafted by both the NBA's Detroit Pistons and the ABA's Carolina Cougars. He talked about deciding which league to join.
"You just kind of sit there and say, 'Okay, I want to play in the NBA.' So being drafted by the Pistons, I got a $2,500 signing bonus and I thought I was in Fat City, you know? So I was like, 'OK, cool. I'll go do that.' And that was it," he recalled.
Mix averaged nearly 11 points and more than five rebounds a game for his NBA career and made the All-Star team during the 1974-75 season.
Mix played for the 76ers from 1973 to 1982, so he wasn't on the Sixers team that won the NBA title in 1983. In fact, he was on the Lakers team that the Sixers swept in the finals. But he knew what the win meant to his old teammates.
"I was thrilled to death for Mo (Cheeks) and Doc (Julius Erving), and everybody in that locker room, being part of them for nine years and helping them get to that position. We talk about that, Doc and I talk about that on occasion. Disappointing? I could've had a ring," he mused.
"But on the other hand, I made the NBA Finals four times, didn't win one, and I ended up being a trivia question on 'Jeopardy!,' 'Who was in more championship games without ever winning a championship in his career?' and that was me, up to that point. It probably has changed, but in 1983 I was the answer to a trivia question."
You can listen to the entire interview with Steve Mix, above, by checking out the latest episode of the KYW Newsradio original podcast, "1-on-1 with Matt Leon." Subscribe on the RADIO.COM app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Matt Leon on Twitter @MattLeon1060.
