An Ohio native, Norris Cole was born and raised in Dayton and played college basketball at Cleveland State. He went on to win two NBA titles with the Miami Heat while playing with another native of the Buckeye State, Akron’s LeBron James. Cole, who grew up in a family that emphasized education first, did not expect to be an NBA player as a youngster, treating sports as an extracurricular activity instead of his first priority. The 26-year-old discussed some of his background and interests away from basketball with Pelicans.com:
Best moments as an athlete: “Getting drafted into the NBA.