Steve Mix
Steven Mix | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 30, 1947 |
| Occupation(s) | Professional basketball player, coach, commentator |
| Years active | 1969–1983 (player), 1984–1985, 2012–2014 (coach) |
| Known for | NBA All-Star, four-time NBA Finals competitor, Philadelphia 76ers commentator |
Steven Charles Mix (born December 30, 1947), known by the moniker "The Mayor," is a retired professional basketball athlete and coach. Throughout a thirteen-season tenure in the NBA, Mix achieved All-Star status and competed in four NBA Finals. Subsequently, he served as a longtime commentator for the Philadelphia 76ers.
College career
Mix's basketball journey began at Rogers High School in Toledo, Ohio, followed by collegiate play at the University of Toledo under the guidance of coach Bob Nichols.
During his time at Toledo, Mix was honored with first-team all-Mid-American Conference selections for three straight years (1967–1969) and was named MAC Player of the Year in 1969. As a sophomore, he propelled the Rockets to the NCAA tournament, averaging 23.0 points alongside 13.5 rebounds per contest. His junior and senior campaigns featured averages of 21.8 points with 10.2 rebounds, and 24.1 points with 12.1 rebounds respectively.
Concluding his collegiate career, Mix maintained an impressive double-double average of 23.0 points and 11.9 rebounds per game on 53% shooting across 73 games. He stands fifth on Toledo’s all-time scoring list with 1,676 points and holds the school record for highest points per game at 23.0.
Professional career
Primarily playing as a power forward, Mix’s professional basketball career spanned thirteen years from 1969 to 1972 and then from 1973 to 1983, mostly within the National Basketball Association, with brief appearances in both the Continental Basketball Association and a single game in the American Basketball Association.
Selected in the fifth round of the 1969 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons, Mix was also picked by the Carolina Cougars in the ABA’s 1969 draft.
Detroit Pistons (1969–1971)
Beginning his NBA journey as a bench player, Mix participated in 61 games over two seasons for Detroit under coaches Butch van Breda Kolff and Earl Lloyd, averaging 7.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. The Pistons released him on November 22, 1971.
Denver Rockets (1971)
Following his departure from Detroit, Mix appeared briefly for the ABA’s Denver Rockets, playing one game on December 23, 1971, scoring two points in four minutes under coach Alex Hannum.
Grand Rapids Tackers (1972–1973)
After being cut by the Philadelphia 76ers during training camp, Mix revived his career with the Grand Rapids Tackers of the CBA, where he averaged an impressive 31.1 points over 19 games and led the team to a CBA championship guided by coach Don Vroon.
Philadelphia 76ers (1973-1982)
Mix signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers on August 29, 1973, rejuvenating his professional trajectory over nine seasons. In his first year (1973–74), he played all 82 games and posted a double-double average of 14.9 points and 10.5 rebounds under coach Gene Shue. The team concluded with a record of 25–57.
During the following season (1974–75), despite appearing in only 46 games due to injury, Mix averaged 15.6 points and 10.9 rebounds, earning an NBA All-Star nod as Philadelphia improved to a 34–48 record.
The Sixers advanced to a winning season in 1975–76 with a final tally of 46–36; Mix contributed averages of 13.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists alongside teammates such as Doug Collins, George McGinnis, and Billy Cunningham. The team was eliminated in the first playoff round.
Ahead of the 1976–77 season, Philadelphia bolstered its roster by acquiring star player Julius Erving along with additions like Henry Bibby, Caldwell Jones, and Darryl Dawkins. The franchise finished with a strong record of 50–32; Mix averaged 10.5 points and five rebounds per game as they reached the 1977 NBA Finals, ultimately falling to the Portland Trail Blazers in six games.
In the subsequent season (1977–78), after an initial start of two wins against four losses, Billy Cunningham replaced Shue as head coach, guiding Philadelphia to a final mark of 55–27. Mix contributed off the bench with an average of 9.3 points as the team was defeated in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Washington Bullets.
The next year (1978–79), with new addition Bobby Jones, Philadelphia ended with a record of 47–35 but was ousted by the San Antonio Spurs during the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Mix maintained averages of approximately 9.3 points and four rebounds.
In the strong campaign of 1979–80, where Philadelphia posted a franchise-best record of 59–23, Mix averaged solid numbers at 11.6 points per game and helped lead the Sixers to the 1980 NBA Finals. They were defeated four games to two by Los Angeles Lakers stars Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
At age 33 during the 1980–81 season, Mix contributed an average of 10.8 points while aiding Philadelphia to achieve their best-ever regular-season record at that time—62–20—with rookie addition Andrew Toney. The Sixers reached the Eastern Conference Finals but succumbed to eventual champions Boston Celtics in seven games.
Mix’s concluding season with Philadelphia was in 1981–82 when his playing time decreased; he averaged just over seven points across seventy-five games under head coach Cunningham and assistant coach Chuck Daly. The team advanced to the 1982 NBA Finals but again lost to Magic Johnson’s Lakers squad.
Throughout nine seasons wearing Sixers colors, Mix appeared in a total of 668 games, averaging career numbers of approximately 11.3 points, five and a half rebounds, and nearly two assists per contest—cementing his legacy as a reliable contributor during a pivotal era for Philadelphia basketball.
Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers (1982-1983)
On September 13, 1982, Mix joined the Milwaukee Bucks as an experienced free agent, participating in 57 games and averaging 6.0 points alongside 2.7 rebounds under the guidance of coach Don Nelson. He averaged approximately 14 minutes per contest before being released on April 11, 1983.
Shortly after, on April 16, 1983, Mix signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, contributing during the closing regular-season games and throughout the playoffs. The Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals by overcoming the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs. In the 1983 NBA Finals, Mix's Lakers were swept in four games by his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, which marked the conclusion of his NBA playing career.
Throughout his professional tenure, Mix appeared in a total of 788 contests representing the Detroit Pistons (1968–1971), Denver Rockets (ABA, 1971), Philadelphia 76ers (1973–1982), Milwaukee Bucks (1982–1983), and Lakers (1983). His career averages include 10.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
Mix earned selection to the 1975 NBA All-Star Game and participated in four NBA Finals series: three with the 76ers (1977, 1980, 1982) and one with the Lakers (1983).
Coaching and Broadcasting Career
Following his retirement from playing, Mix took on the role of head coach for the women's basketball team at the University of Toledo during the 1984–85 season, concluding with a record of 6–20.
He dedicated 22 years as a color analyst for Philadelphia 76ers television broadcasts and contributed as a basketball commentator for SportsTime Ohio in 2011.
In 2012, Mix accepted the position of women's head coach at Trine University, serving until 2014. After stepping down from coaching at Trine, he has been active in conducting basketball camps at Indian River State College located in Florida.
Personal Life
Mix married Maryalice in 1970. The couple has four children and resides in Vero Beach, Florida.
He has maintained a close friendship with former teammate Julius Erving since their playing days; Erving affectionately nicknamed him "Sky." Mix has reflected on their shared experiences both on and off the court, emphasizing their lasting camaraderie.
When the University of Toledo retired his number 50 jersey in 2007, Mix expressed both surprise and deep appreciation for this honor.
After retiring from professional basketball, Mix settled in Vero Beach. Utilizing his connections, he took up a position as an usher for the New York Mets at First Data Field in Port St. Lucie, where the Mets hold their Spring Training and minor league games. He regards this role as a meaningful post-basketball engagement and occasionally receives recognition from fans and Mets Special Assistant J. P. Ricciardi.
Honors
- Inducted into the Toledo Rockets Hall of Fame in 1977.
- Inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.
- The Toledo Rockets retired his number 50 jersey in 2007.
Regular Season
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Detroit | 18 || – || 15.3 || .480 || – || .590 || 3.6 || .8 || – || – || 6.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Detroit | 35 || – || 20.9 || .446 || – || .764 || 4.7 || 1.0 || – || – || 8.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Detroit | 8 || – || 13.0 || .319 || – || .583 || 2.9 || .5 || – || – || 4.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Denver (ABA) | 1 || – || 4.0 || 1.000 || – || – || 1.0 || .0 || – || – || 2.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia | 82 || – || 36.2 || .475 || – || .792 || 10.5 || 1.9 || 2.6 || .5 || 14.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia |46||–||38.0|| .481||–|| .776|| 10.9||2.2||1.7|| .5|| 15.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia |81||–||37.5|| .499||–|| .818||8.2|| 2.7||2.0|| .4||13.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia |75||–||26.1|| .523||–|| .817||5.0||2.0||1.2|| .3||10.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia |82||–||22.2|| .520||–|| .795||3.6||2.1||1.1|| .0||9.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"|
|style="text-align:left;" |Philadelphia |74||–||17.1|| .538||–|| .801||4.0||1.6|| .8|| .2||9.3 |- |style="text-align:left;" |Philadelphia |81||–||19.0|| .516|||.400||| .831|||3..6|||1..8||| .8||| .1|||11..6 |- |style="text-align:left;" |Philadelphia |72|||–|||18..4||| .501||| .000||| .833|||3..7|||1..6||| .8||| .3|||10..8 |- |style="text-align:left;" |Philadelphia |75|||0|||16..5||| .506|||.250|||'.791'||3..0|||1..2|||'.6'||'.2'||7..2 |- |style="text-align:left;" |Milwaukee |57|||20|||13..9'||'.487'||'.250'||'.851'||2..4'||'1..2'||'.6'||'.1'||6..0 |- |style="text-align:left;" |L.A.|Lakers |1'||'0'||'17..0'||'.400'||–|||.1000|||1..0'||'2..0'||'.0'||'.0'||9..0 |- class='sortbottom'
|'style='text-align:center;' colspan='2'|'Career' |'788'|'20'|'23..9'|'..499'|'..286'|'..803'|'5..3'|'1..8'|'1..2'|'..2'|'10..6' |- class='sortbottom' |'style='text-align:center;' colspan='2'|'All-Star' |'1'|'0'|'11..0'|'..400'|'–'|'–'|'2..0'|'..0'|'–'|'–'|'4..0'
Playoffs
|- |style="text-align:left;"|1976 |style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia |3||–||44.7||.391||–||.800||6.0||4.0||3.7||.7||14.7 |- |style="text-align:left;"|1977 |style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia |19||–||21.7||.523||–||.822||3.4||2.3||1.1||.2||7.8 |- |style="text-align:left;"|1978 |style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia |10||–||23.5||.598||–||.884||4.6||3.6||1.5||.1||13.6 |- |style="text-align:left;"|1979 |style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia |9||–||19.9||.525||–||.867||3.9||1.8||.7||.0||8.3 |- |style="text-align:left;"|1980 |style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia |17||–||11.8||.458||–||.893||1.8||.8||.5||.3||6.6 |- |style="text-align:left;"|1981 |style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia |16||–||12.9||.416||.000||.923||2.6||.6||.3||.1||5.5 |- |style="text-align:left;"|1982 |style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia |7||–||7.1||.545||1.000||.714||1.6||.9||.0||.0||4.3 |- |style="text-align:left;"|1983 |style="text-align:left;"|L.A. Lakers |8||–||3.3||.400||–||1.000||.1||.0||.0||.0||.9 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 89 || – || 16.2 || .494 || .500 || .864 || 2.8 || 1.5 || .7 || .1 || 7.2