Norris Coleman facts for kids

Norris James Coleman (born September 27, 1961) is a retired American professional basketball player. He was chosen by the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round of the 1987 NBA draft. Standing 6 feet 8 inches tall, Coleman played as a forward. He had a long and successful career playing basketball around the world.

Norris Coleman's Basketball Journey

Norris Coleman played for the Clippers during the 1987-88 NBA season. He appeared in 29 games and scored a total of 153 points. After his time in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Coleman played for many years in professional basketball leagues outside the United States. He was especially successful in Israel.

Playing in Israel

Coleman played for teams like Hapoel Jerusalem and Maccabi Tel Aviv. In 1994, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He continued to play in Israel for various teams until he retired in 2001. He finished his career with Hapoel Tel Aviv when he was 40 years old.

College Basketball Career

Norris Coleman had a very interesting college basketball career at Kansas State University. He had spent five years serving in the U.S. Army before starting college. This meant he was 24 years old when he began playing for Kansas State in the 1985–86 basketball season.

Early Success and Challenges

In his first season, Coleman was amazing. He led the Big Eight Conference in scoring, averaging 21.8 points per game. He also grabbed 8 rebounds per game. Because of his great performance, he was named first-team All-Conference and the Newcomer of the Year. He was one of the few players to lead his league in scoring in their very first college season.

However, near the end of that season, the NCAA found a problem. They said Coleman had not met all the high school requirements needed to play. Kansas State immediately said he could not play anymore.

Overcoming Obstacles

The situation became even more complicated in April 1986. The NCAA made an unusual rule about Coleman. They said he would have to sit out a year at Kansas State without a scholarship and lose a year of playing time. Or, he could transfer to a different school and face no penalties.

Many schools offered Coleman scholarships, and he visited several. But he decided to stay at Kansas State. In November 1986, the NCAA changed its decision. They reduced his penalty to a 12-game suspension. Coleman returned to the court for the last 19 games of the 1986–1987 season. He teamed up with Mitch Richmond and helped Kansas State reach the 1987 NCAA tournament.

Turning Professional

In his shortened sophomore season, Coleman continued to play very well. He averaged 20.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. He was again named first-team All-Conference. After this successful season, Coleman decided to become a professional basketball player.

Because of his time in the Army, Kansas State fans lovingly called Norris Coleman "The Sarge."

College Statistics

Here are Norris Coleman's college statistics:

See also

In Spanish: Norris Coleman para niños