Norman Taylor (basketball) facts for kids

Norman Taylor (born September 10, 1965 – died November 14, 2020) was an American basketball player. He played for three seasons in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL). He was a center for the Illawarra Hawks team.

Norman was 6 feet 7 inches tall. Before playing professionally, he played college basketball for the Bridgeport Purple Knights. He was even named an All-American in 1987, which means he was one of the best college players in the country.

Playing in College

Norman Taylor grew up in New York City. He went to the University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He played basketball for the Purple Knights for four years, from 1984 to 1988.

In his first year, he helped his team win the New England Collegiate Conference Championship. They also got to play in the NCAA tournament. During his third year, Norman was amazing. He scored 22.0 points and grabbed 12.1 rebounds per game.

He was one of only a few Bridgeport players to be chosen as an NABC All-American. This honor meant he was recognized as one of the top college players in the country. By 2011, Norman was the second-highest scorer in his college's history. He scored over 2,000 points in his career. In 2011, he was added to the UB Athletic Hall of Fame.

Becoming an NBL Star

In 1989, Norman moved to Australia to play professional basketball. He joined the Illawarra Hawks in the NBL. He played 67 games for the Hawks over three seasons.

He was a very strong player, averaging 27.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. He was chosen to play in the NBL All-Star game in both 1989 and 1990.

Norman made history for the Hawks in May 1990. He scored an amazing 54 points in one game against the Eastside Spectres. This was the most points any Hawks player had ever scored in a single game. He also got 13 rebounds in that game.

In 1991, he became the first Hawks player to get a "triple-double" in the NBL. This means he had at least 10 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds in one game. He scored 27 points, had 10 assists, and grabbed 12 rebounds against Newcastle.

Norman was named the Hawks' Most Valuable Player (MVP) in all three of his seasons. His shooting accuracy was incredible. His career shooting percentage of 65.2% is still the best in NBL history. He also led the NBL in field goal shooting in 1990 and 1991. In 2017, his 1990 season was called one of the greatest individual seasons in NBL history.

In 2018, Norman Taylor was named one of the 12 Greatest Hawks of All Time. This was a big honor from the Illawarra Mercury newspaper.

Life After Basketball

After his three years playing in the NBL, Norman stayed in Australia. He lived in New South Wales. He was well-known in the Illawarra area, especially in Woonona.

He owned a successful chicken shop and also worked for Qantas, an airline company. Norman had two sons, Jordan and Adonis. Both of his sons also played basketball for Illawarra's younger teams.

Norman Taylor passed away on November 14, 2020, at the age of 55. He died from a heart attack.