Before taking his sharpshooting skills to the NBA Paxson helped lead Notre Dame to two appearances in the NCAA tournament. Paxson played four years at the University of Notre Dame and was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1983 NBA Draft.
After two years in San Antonio, Paxson signed with the Chicago Bulls. He played with Michael Jordan and helped the Bulls win 3 NBA titles. Paxson hit a game-winning shot in game six of the 1993 NBA Finals which would close out the series and secure the title.
Paxson joined Phil Jackson as an assistant coach for the 1995-1996 season. The year after he started his career as a radio broadcaster. In 2003 Paxson became the Bull's General Manager up until 2009. From 2009 to 2020 John Paxson was the Vice President of basketball operations for the Chicago Bulls.