Two-time NBA champion Norris Cole returns to the franchise to mentor rising talent, transitioning from his playing career to a developmental role in Sioux Falls.
The Miami Heat have had a big offseason, adding multiple players with many now predicting them to finish among the top teams in the Eastern Conference standings this season. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Klay Thompson, Bobby Portis and Tim Hardaway Jr. are just a few new faces who will be joining the franchise. While a lot of the focus has been on who the Heat have been bringing in as players, Miami recently made a coaching move that is sure to make fans feel nostalgic.
The Heat have reportedly hired former guard Norris Cole as an assistant coach for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat's G-League affiliate.
Cole, 37, is best known for his tenure with the Heat from 2011-2015. He was selected at No. 28 overall out of Cleveland State in the 2011 NBA draft and was dealt twice before finding his way to Miami on draft night. Cole had a very strong preseason that year and earned a lot of playing time his rookie season. He appeared in 65 regular-season games and 19 postseason games, putting up shaky numbers as the team went on to win the title in 2012.
The next season, his shooting splits improved drastically despite averaging similar statistics and the Heat went on to win another title in 2013. At this point of his career, Cole established himself as a solid bench guard and was with the team for another season-and-a-half, being dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans at the 2015 trade deadline.
The two-time champion saw his highest usage in 2016 with New Orleans but quickly found himself out of the league after a brief stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017. After his NBA career folded, he spent most of the last decade playing overseas for various teams while having two short appearances in the G-League with the Grand Rapids Gold and G-League Ignite. Cole was never a star player but was great in his role as a high-energy, change-of-pace backup throughout his career.
Now, after having some experience as a player in the G-League, he will help coach a team who has been renowned for player development over the past few seasons. Players such as Pelle Larsson and Nikola Jovic were drafted as projects and both have earned rookie contract extensions in the last calendar year. Cole most recently was the head girls' basketball coach at Trinity High School in Shiremanstown, Pennsylvania last season.
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