Get to Know the Newest Oklahoma City Thunder Player – Norris Cole
The Oklahoma City Thunder has added a third new name to its roster: Norris Cole. Get to know the newest addition before he takes to the court for the first time in Thunder gear.
In the aftermath of roster shakeups right before the trade deadline last week, the OKC Thunder had a seat to fill. Speculation abounded as to who may fill that 15th roster spot (lookin’ at you, Perk), but a name that admittedly hadn’t been on many radars soon surfaced. And on Wednesday, the Thunder officially announced the addition of guard Norris Cole II.
We have history
Let’s address the elephant in the room. Norris Cole is a two-time NBA champion. But, here’s the thing: you may remember that one of those championships came in 2012, when the OKC Thunder was only three wins away from winning the title.
For those of you who may still be bitter five years later, just remember that Cole won NBA titles during his time with the Miami Heat in both 2012 and 2013. Those were the Heat’s wonder years. They had LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, and Mario Chalmers. It wasn’t Cole’s fault that they won, right?
Back to the beginning
As a student athlete in Dayton, OH, Cole led his high school basketball team to consecutive state championships. From there, he was recruited by a basketball coach from Cleveland State University. His senior year, Cole averaged 21.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.
His time at Cleveland State earned Cole an admirable number of awards and nominations, including an AP All-America Honorable Mention and placement on the National Association of Basketball Coaches District 12 First Team. Additionally, he was a finalist for both the Wooden Award and the Bob Cousy Award.
Cole was so good, in fact, that his No. 30 jersey has since been retired at Cleveland State.
Related: OKC Thunder sign Norris Cole
NBA, here comes Norris Cole:
Cole obtained his bachelor’s degree in health sciences from Cleveland State University before he was drafted in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft. Initially picked by the Chicago Bulls, Cole experienced a number of trades before he wore a league jersey.
Immediately following draft night, Chicago sent him to the Minnesota Timberwolves before Minnesota traded him to the Miami Heat. During that first year in Miami, Cole became the fourth fastest rookie in franchise history to score at least 20 points in a game and was selected to play in the 2012 Rising Stars Challenge.
In 2015, Cole was sent to the New Orleans Pelicans, where he became a post-injury replacement for Jrue Holiday. A year later, he signed with the Chinese Basketball Association as a Shandong Golden Star before being released after nine games.
What to expect
At 28-years-old, Cole is one of the oldest players on the Thunder’s roster. In fact, only three (Taj Gibson, Kyle Singler, and Nick Collison) are older. His veteran status means he brings experience and depth to an Oklahoma City bench that has strengthened significantly in the last week.
Cole comes to Oklahoma City with a career average 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. Despite not having to shoot many free throws, he averages 74% from the line.
For the most part, Cole has spent his NBA career a reserve player. But Cameron Payne‘s departure to Chicago left a void in that important backup point guard position. Semaj Christon, Westbrook’s current No. 2, is only 24 years old. He’s averaging 3.1 points, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 rebounds in his first year as a professional player. Given those statistics, it’s likely Cole will be filling that back-up point guard spot more frequently. Look for Donovan to utilize him as a strong addition to a second unit that has gone from worrisome to mesmerizing in seven short days.
A perfect fit
Thunder general manager Sam Presti is often praised for the thought he puts into decisions like these. To ensure that each addition to the roster is a good fit, Presti looks at both the player and the person. In this case, Cole seems to be a perfect fit.
He’s still young (only a matter of weeks older than Russell Westbrook), quick, and agile.
He’s smart. A member of the National Honor Society, Cole was the salutatorian of his high school class.
He’s musical:
http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2016/02/13/2016-asts-cole.nba
And, he has a strong spiritual foundation – something highly regarded by Oklahomans in the buckle of the Bible Belt. Cole once told Christian Chronicle:
"“It can be tough to maintain Christian values with the pressure of a national stage, but you just have to be disciplined. I try to shelter myself from different situations, read on a consistent basis and try to attend worship service.”"
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On behalf of all Thunder fans, welcome to Oklahoma City, Norris! We promise to look past 2012, and we certainly hope your championship rings are the luck this team needs.