Education
Nivins attended Saint Anthony where he began as a baseball player before switching to basketball on his first year. Nivins attended Saint Joseph"s University.
Nivins attended Saint Anthony where he began as a baseball player before switching to basketball on his first year. Nivins attended Saint Joseph"s University.
As a Senior, he averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks and He helped the team to a 30-0 record and the school"s ninth Tournament of Champions title in 2003-2004. He is the school"s leader in career field goal percentage (634) and also one of 26 Hawks to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his career. Nivins is fifth on SJU"s all-time list with 110 blocks.
As a senior, he averaged a double-double (192 points, 118 rebounds) and nationally, he ranked fourth in rebounds per game behind John Bryant, Blake Griffin and Kenneth Faried.
After being selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the 56th overall pick of the 2009 National Basketball Association draft, on August 6, 2009, he signed for Bàsquet Manresa in the Spanish ACB. On January 4, 2011, he signed with Belgian team Dexia Mons-Hainaut. On December 10, his draft rights were traded to the New York Knicks, along with the draft rights to Giorgos Printezis and Tyson Chandler in a three-way trade.
The Mavericks received Andy Rautins from the Knicks and a second round pick from the Washington Wizards. On August 20, 2012, Nivins moved to the French league, signing with Poitiers Basket 86 after averaging 10.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in 2011-2012 in Belgium.
On June 21, 2013, Nivins signed with Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez after averaging 14.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game with Poitiers.
On June 3, 2014, Nivins signed with ASVEL Basket after averaging 15.5 points and 6.3 rebounds with Pau-Orthez.