Getty Norris Cole handles the ball during a FIBA AmeriCup game against Argentina.
When former Miami Heat point guard Norris Cole made the call to join USA Basketball’s FIBA AmeriCup entry, the veteran baller made it clear that winning gold wasn’t his only goal. More than five years after playing his last NBA game, the baller was determined to get back to the big dance, too.
“I still have the fire, the hunger and I still feel like I have something to prove, things that I would like to accomplish as a player,” Cole told the Associated Press‘ Tim Reynolds. “Just a chance, that’s all I ask… I have a lot I can bring to a team. I want to continue to show that.”
Whether or not he ends up getting that chance remains to be seen, but even as the Americans fell short in their bid to reign supreme over the Americas region, the now 33-year-old Cole showed that he has a lot left in the tank.
The Old Heat Fave Was One of Team USA’s Most Consistent Performers
On Sunday, Team USA wrapped up its time in Recife, Brazil with a win over Canada to secure the bronze medal, which was something of a letdown for the most storied hoops program in the world. Moreover, Cole found himself unable to light it up from three-point range for the first time in the tournament.
Even as his individual offensive game left him, though, the journeyman baller continued to be a positive-impact player for his country.
In his 22 minutes on the floor, Cole was just 1-of-8 from the floor with four total points, but he still managed to dish out a game-high eight assists. And, in a game they lost, the Americans were plus-eight when he was on the court. He was consistently good in earlier efforts, too.
Over the course of his six-game tournament run, Cole averaged 14 points, four assists and a steal per outing while bagging an impressive 53.4% of his shot attempts overall and 46.9% from three-point range (on 32 total attempts).
Meanwhile, his game-winning bucket against Puerto Rico in the quarterfinal round made it possible for the US to win a medal of any kind.
“I just wanted to make a play for our team,” Cole said after the game. “Moments like that, everybody dreams of.”
Cole Has Been on a Long & Winding Road Since Leaving South Beach
Since his cup of coffee with the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2016-17 campaign, Cole has spent time in Israel, Italy, Montenegro, Monaco, France, Spain and, most recently, Puerto Rico as he continues to ply his trade on the hardwood.
He split the 2021-22 campaign between Unicaja of Liga ACB and JL Bourg of LNB Pro A, acquitting himself well at both stops. And that continued to be the case when he wrapped up the stretch by moving to the BSN’s Atleticos de San German in July.
In five games with San German down the stretch, Cole averaged 15.0 points and 1.6 assists while helping the club to a BSN Finals appearance.
Whether or not any of this will translate to another NBA opportunity remains to be seen. But in a world where his old Heat teammate, Mario Chalmers, got another NBA look during the league’s Covid outbreak last season after a three-plus year absence, anything is possible.