Photo: Peter Baba

The debate over what motivates today’s NBA players remains a frequent topic around the league, and former NBA guard Nick Van Exel recently offered a candid perspective based on his experiences as both a player and coach.

Speaking with Zach Randolph on Out The Mud Podcast, Van Exel questioned how many players are genuinely driven by the pursuit of championships, suggesting that winning is not the primary focus for a large portion of the league.

“When I first started coaching around 2010, 2011, I always asked the coaching staff a question: how many guys really care about winning a championship?” Van Exel said, via HoopsHype. “I always felt like I could put up these ten fingers and I’m probably going to get to about eight or nine. I always felt that guys were more in it for the perks.”

The former Lakers point guard added that players often embrace a championship mindset only after joining a winning environment.

“If you were lucky to be on a championship team, then you adapt to it, you start to feel that vibe,” Van Exel said. “But I don’t see that many guys out there hooping. Unless you are a legacy guy that wants your legacy, how many guys really feel about their legacy right now that you can think about in the league that say, ‘I want to win a championship’? I don’t see that many.”

Van Exel’s comments stand out because they come from someone who spent 13 seasons in the NBA and experienced a variety of team situations throughout his career. The Cincinnati product appeared in 880 games, averaging 14.4 points and 6.6 assists while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs.

His most productive years came as a lead guard in Los Angeles and Denver. During the 2001-02 season, he averaged a career-high 21.4 points and 8.1 assists in 45 games with the Nuggets before being traded to Dallas, where he later became an important contributor on playoff teams.

Although Van Exel never won an NBA championship as a player, he spent the latter stages of his career with contenders and later worked in coaching roles that gave him another perspective on team-building and locker-room dynamics.