Nicolaas Peter Vanos (April 13, 1963 – August 16, 1987) was an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The San Mateo, California native was selected 32nd by the Suns in the 1985 NBA draft after playing at Hillsdale High School and Santa Clara University. He played only two seasons in the NBA, both of them for the Suns at center, ending with his death in a plane crash in 1987.[1][2]
Vanos and his girlfriend Carolyn Cohen both died as passengers on Northwest Airlines Flight 255, which crashed just after takeoff from the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on August 16, 1987. The two were on their way back to Phoenix, Arizona after a visit to Cohen’s parents in Michigan. The crash killed all but one of the 155 persons aboard, and two motorists on the ground.[1][3]: 25–26
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
Source[4]
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985–86 | Phoenix | 11 | 0 | 18.4 | .319 | – | .348 | 5.5 | 1.5 | .2 | .5 | 4.9 |
| 1986–87 | Phoenix | 57 | 14 | 11.2 | .411 | .000 | .644 | 3.2 | .8 | .3 | .4 | 2.9 |
| Career | 68 | 14 | 12.4 | .383 | .000 | .561 | 3.5 | .9 | .3 | .4 | 3.3 | |
See also
References
- ^ a b “The parents of Phoenix Suns basketball player Nick Vanos,…” UPI. October 29, 1987. Archived from the original on March 21, 2025. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ^ “Nick Vanos Remembered: 1963-1987”. NBA.com. February 3, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- ^ “Aircraft Accident Report, Northwest Airlines, Inc. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82, N312RC, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Romulus, Michigan, August 16, 1987” (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. May 10, 1988. NTSB/AAR-88/05. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2015. – Copy at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University.
- ^ “Nick Vanos NBA stats”. Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
External links
- Career statistics from NBA.com · Basketball Reference
