Audie Norris facts for kids
Norris in 2012
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 18, 1960 Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. |
| High school | Jim Hill (Jackson, Mississippi) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Jackson State (1978–1982) |
| NBA Draft | 1982 / Round: 2 / Pick: 37th overall |
| Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Pro career | 1982–1994 |
| Coaching career | 2014–2016 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1982–1985 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1985–1987 | Benetton Treviso |
| 1987–1993 | FC Barcelona |
| 1993–1994 | Nikas Peristeri |
| As coach: | |
| 2014–2016 | CDB Sevilla (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
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Audie James Norris (born December 18, 1960) is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. Norris played for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers from 1982 to 1985. His former teammate, Mychal Thompson, who is the father of Klay Thompson, gave him the nickname "The Atomic Dog." This was because of his powerful dunks during games.
After he stopped playing professional basketball in 1994, Norris started coaching. He has helped many young student athletes improve their skills. He has over 18 years of coaching experience at different levels, from youth teams to semi-professional men's leagues. He is a certified coach with the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) and a member of the Spanish Basketball Coaches Association (AEEB).
Norris was also named an NBA Ambassador by the league's commissioner, Adam Silver. He has taken part in NBA Ambassador programs like Jr. NBA and NBA Cares. His brother, Sylvester Norris, also played for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs.
Contents
Audie Norris's College Basketball Journey
Norris played college basketball for the Jackson State Tigers at Jackson State University. He played from 1978 to 1982. During this time, he also studied Therapeutic Recreation and Special Education. He earned many awards during his four years there. He was named Freshman of the Year and was a two-time league MVP.
In 1998, he was honored by being added to the Jackson State University Athletics Hall of Fame.
Audie Norris's Professional Basketball Career
Norris was chosen by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round of the 1982 NBA draft. He was the 37th player picked overall. In his three seasons with the Trail Blazers in the NBA, he averaged 4.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game. After his time in the NBA, Norris moved to Europe to continue his professional basketball career.
Playing in Europe: Italy and Spain
After leaving the NBA, Norris played for two seasons in the Italian League with Benetton Treviso. He was chosen as an Italian League All-Star in 1986.
He then spent the next six seasons playing in the Spanish League for FC Barcelona. While with Barcelona, Norris was part of one of the best teams in Europe. Some of his teammates included famous players like "Epi", Nacho Solozábal, Andrés Jiménez, and Chicho Sibilio.
With Barcelona, Norris helped the team win many titles. They won three Spanish League championships (in 1988, 1989, and 1990). They also won two Spanish King's Cup titles (in 1988 and 1991). Other wins included the Spanish Super Cup in 1987, the second-tier Spanish Prince's Cup in 1988, and the Catalan League in 1989.
Norris also played in three EuroLeague Final Four tournaments in a row (1989, 1990, and 1991). He even reached the EuroLeague Finals in 1990 and 1991. He was a two-time Spanish League All-Star (1988 and 1990). In 1991, he was voted to the EuroLeague All-Final Four Team.
Finishing His Playing Career
Norris finished his professional playing career in the Greek League. He played for Peristeri Athens during the 1993–94 season. In total, Audie Norris played for 12 seasons as a professional basketball player.
Audie Norris's Coaching Career
Audie Norris has had a long and varied coaching career. He has been an assistant coach for the Jackson State Tigers. He also coached the girls' basketball team at Saint Joseph Catholic High School. He was an assistant coach for the Tougaloo College girls' basketball team and head coach for the Jackson State Lady Tigers.
He also coached the Jackson Rage Pro team as an assistant. He was a head coach at Genesis One Christian Prep School and New Horizon Preparatory School. Norris has also made coaching appearances at events like the National Basketball Association Top 100 Camp, Uariachi Hoop Camp, 5-Star Basketball Camp, Mo Williams Skill Development Camp, and the Emvipi Foundation Academy.
Since 2012, he has also run his own basketball camps and clinics around the world. He has held camps in countries like Spain, Senegal, Greece, and South Africa. He also hosts an annual summer Audie Norris Basketball Camp in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, near Barcelona.
Coaching in Spain and China
In 2014, Norris joined the Spanish ACB League team CDB Sevilla as an assistant coach. He was officially listed as the team's head coach because the actual head coach, Scott Roth, did not yet have his coaching license approved. Norris was hired to train the team's "post players" (players who play close to the basket). Two of these players, Kristaps Porziņģis and Willy Hernangómez, later went on to play in the NBA.
In 2016, Norris became the head coach of the Jump10 Elite Training Camp. He then coached the Chinese team that took part in the World Jump10 Hoops Challenge in Shanghai. His team finished in 4th place. In September 2016, Norris spent a month coaching the post players for the Chinese Basketball Association team Guangzhou Long-Lions. Two of these players were later sent to the Spanish league team Movistar Estudiantes.
Family Life
Audie Norris's older brother, Sylvester, also played in the NBA. He played for the San Antonio Spurs.
See also
In Spanish: Audie Norris para niños
