He’s been to back-to-back Final Fours, and has seen his jersey retired at both the college and professional levels. He was a first-round draft pick, and a McDonald’s All-American. So what does it all come back to for Nick Collison? Consistency. Whether he was consistently great during his time at Kansas, or a consistent leader for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Collison brought the same passion, energy and work ethic every day. A standout from the beginning, Collison averaged double figures in all four seasons in Lawrence. He was the 2003 Big 12 Player of the Year, and closed his career as the conference’s all-time leading scorer. But he’s best remembered by Kansas fans as the guy who—along with Kirk Hinrich—led the Jayhawks to Final Four appearances in 2002 and 2003. How’d he have so much success at the college level? And how did a guy who averaged 6 points and 5 rebounds have a 14-year NBA career? For the guy known as Mr. Thunder, it all starts at the beginning.

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