Norm Van Lier facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Norm Van Lier

Van Lier with the Chicago Bulls in 1971
Personal information
Born	(1947-04-01)April 1, 1947 East Liverpool, Ohio
Nationality	American
Died	February 26, 2009(2009-02-26) (aged 61) Chicago, Illinois
High school	Midland (Midland, Pennsylvania)
Listed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight	173 lb (78 kg)
Career information
College	Saint Francis (PA) (1966–1969)
NBA Draft	1969 / Round: 3 / Pick: 34th overall
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Pro career	1969–1979
Coaching career	1989–1990
Career history
As player:
1969–1971	Cincinnati Royals
1971–1978	Chicago Bulls
1978–1979	Milwaukee Bucks
As coach:
1989	Worcester Counts (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
3× NBA All-Star (1974, 1976, 1977) All-NBA Second Team (1974) 3× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1974, 1976, 1977) 5× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1971–1973, 1975, 1978) NBA assists leader (1971) No. 12 retired by Saint Francis Red Flash
Career statistics
Points	8,770 (11.8 ppg)
Rebounds	3,596 (4.8 rpg)
Assists	5,217 (7.0 apg)

Norman Allen Van Lier III (born April 1, 1947 – died February 26, 2009) was an American professional basketball player. Most of his career was spent with the famous Chicago Bulls team. He was also a television broadcaster after he stopped playing.

Early Life and Growing Up

Norman Van Lier was born in East Liverpool, Ohio. He grew up in Midland, Pennsylvania, with three brothers and one sister. His father worked hard in a steel mill for 31 years.

Norm remembered playing football as a child. They used a coffee can wrapped in tape as a ball because they didn't have much. He said this helped him learn to work hard later in life.

High School Sports Star

Van Lier was a key player for the Midland High School Leopards basketball team in 1965. Many people think this team was one of the best high school teams ever. They won all 28 of their games and easily became the Pennsylvania State Champions. One of his teammates, Simmie Hill, also became an NBA player.

On weekends, Van Lier would hitchhike to playgrounds in Harlem, New York. He even played basketball with famous player Billy Cunningham once.

Van Lier was also a co-captain of his high school football team. He played both quarterback and safety. He was offered scholarships to play football in college. However, no college would let him play quarterback, which was his favorite position. He was also a talented baseball player and had offers to play professionally.

College Basketball Career

Norm Van Lier was 6 feet 1 inch tall, which is not very tall for a basketball player. He also focused a lot on defense. Because of this, big basketball colleges didn't notice him much.

He went to Saint Francis University of Pennsylvania. There, he became a top point guard. He finished college in 1969.

Professional Basketball Career

Playing for the Cincinnati Royals (1969–1971)

The Chicago Bulls chose Van Lier in the 1969 NBA draft. But they quickly traded him to the Cincinnati Royals. In 1971, he led the entire NBA in assists while playing for the Royals.

On January 5, 1971, Van Lier made history. He became the first NBA player to get a "scoreless double-double". This means he had zero points but got 13 assists and 11 rebounds in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. This rare achievement didn't happen again for 50 years!

Becoming a Chicago Bulls Legend (1971–1978)

The Bulls brought Van Lier back to their team during the 1971–72 season. He stayed with the Bulls until 1978. During his time there, he was chosen to play in three All-Star games (in 1974, 1976, and 1977).

Fans called him "Stormin' Norman" because he played with so much energy and was very tough. He was one of the most popular Bulls players in the 1970s.

During his ten years in the NBA, Van Lier was chosen for the NBA All-Defense First Team three times. He was also on the NBA All-Defense Second Team five times. He is tied with Michael Cooper for the most All-Defense selections without being in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1974, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team. The Bulls let him go in October 1978.

On January 19, 1977, Van Lier set a record for the longest successful shot in NBA history. He made a basket from 84 feet away! This record stood for 24 years.

Short Time with the Milwaukee Bucks (1978–1979)

After leaving the Bulls, Van Lier played a short time with the Milwaukee Bucks. He retired from basketball in 1979. He finished his career with 8,770 points and 5,217 assists.

Coaching and Media Career

After his playing days, Van Lier became a coach. In 1989, he was an assistant coach for the Worcester Counts. He also coached a high school basketball team in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1989–90. His team even reached the state championship game.

Van Lier also had a long career in television and radio. From 1980 to 1982, he was a radio announcer for Bulls games. From 1992 to 2009, he was a TV analyst for Bulls pre-game and post-game shows. He often talked about the Bulls on other Chicago TV shows and even hosted a sports talk radio show.

He also worked as a special disc jockey for a rock music radio station in Chicago. In 2002 and 2004, he had small acting roles in the movies Barbershop and Barbershop 2: Back in Business.

Legacy and Recognition

On June 21, 2008, Norm Van Lier was honored. He was inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame. This Hall of Fame celebrates great athletes from Western Pennsylvania. Van Lier said that his time was a "golden era of basketball" for the state and maybe even the country.

Death

On February 25, 2009, Van Lier did not show up for his TV appearance after a Bulls game. He was found dead in his apartment in Chicago the next day, February 26, 2009. Sadly, another Bulls broadcaster and former coach, Johnny "Red" Kerr, also passed away later that same day.

Career Statistics Summary

NBA Regular Season Summary

NBA Playoffs Summary

See also

In Spanish: Norm Van Lier para niños