Adonis Jordan
Encyclopedia
Adonis Jordan moved from one coast to another and resettled in Los Angeles
, California after his sophomore year in high school. He transferred to Cleveland High School
in Reseda
and joined future NBA
veteran Lucious Harris
as stars of the school's varsity basketball team. The New York native was a big factor on the Cleveland High Cavaliers' squad, playing big roles on offense
(averaging 13.8 points a game
) and defense (averaging 5.9 steals
per game) during the 1987–88 season. At the start of his senior year, Jordan was considered by some to be one of the state's top point guards and was named among the nation's 50 top-rated high school seniors by basketball scout Bob Gibbons
. He completed his final high school season averaging 24.3 points
and 13.4 assists
per game, leading the Cavaliers to a 23–3 record and to the quarterfinals of the City Section tournament while earning back-to-back Valley 4-A All-League First Team recognition.
. At the time, Kansas was suffering from NCAA sanctions that stemmed from recruiting violations under former coach Larry Brown
. Though the scandal dissuaded other potential high school prospects from attending Kansas, Jordan nonetheless decided to take a chance with the school after he was impressed by the university's friendly and personal atmosphere. In the 1989-90 season, freshman Jordan came off the bench to back up starting Jayhawks point guard Kevin Pritchard
. Together they helped lead Kansas to a surprising record of 30–5 under second-year coach Roy Williams
. With Pritchard's graduation, Jordan became the starting point guard for the 1990-91 season, leading the 27-8 Kansas Jayhawks to the Final Four during his sophomore year. Jordan averaged 12.5 points and recorded 151 assists that season while the team managed three upset victories in the 1991 NCAA Tournament against Indiana
(Sweet Sixteen), the Southeast Regional number one seed Arkansas (Elite Eight) and Eastern Regional number one seed North Carolina
(National Semifinals) before finishing as National Runnerup to Duke
in the National Championship game.
Two years later, senior Jordan and teammate Rex Walters helped lead the Jayhawks to further success when they captured the 1993 Big Eight
Regular Season Championship and the second seed in the Midwest Region of the 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
with a 25-6 record. Jordan and Walters' stellar backcourt performance earned them a reputation as one of the NCAA's best guard combinations. Kansas marched through the NCAA tournament, beating Midwest Region number one seed Indiana
in the Regional Final to advance to the Final Four for the second time in three years. Though Kansas eventually finished at 29-7 with a loss to North Carolina
in the Final Four, the team's outstanding performance that year earned the squad a top ten nationwide ranking during the regular season, including a brief time spent at number one. Jordan's legacy with Kansas is also recognized in holding the Jayhawks' number six spot for most assists in the school's history and is 22nd on the school's all-time scoring list.
in the 1993 NBA Draft
after a storied basketball career at Kansas. Seattle ended up cutting the rookie at the start of the 1993–94 NBA season but Jordan reemerged in the league after being picked up by the Denver Nuggets
later in the month on a 10-day contract. He appeared in six games with Denver before being waived again but finished the season in the CBA
with the Rochester Renegades and the Sioux Falls Skyforce
. The former Jayhawk headed to Australia
in what would become the start of a series of overseas stints. His first stop landed him with the Australian National Basketball League
's South East Melbourne Magic
, where he led the team to an impressive record in 1994. After playing one season in Israel
, Jordan headed to Venezuela
where he joined the Cocodrilos de Caracas of the Liga Profesional de Baloncesto
. With five years of overseas experience, the globetrotter returned to the States and signed two 10-day contracts with the Milwaukee Bucks
in early 1999. He donned a Bucks uniform in four games before ultimately being released in March. Jordan returned overseas later that same year, where he would eventually finish his professional career. He played a season with the Finnish
Tapiolan Honka
basketball club in 1999–2000 and returned to Australia where he retired after playing for the Victoria Giants
. In 2010, Jordan returned to basketball with the Chelsea
Gulls of the Big V
, a Victorian
basketball league. Later that year, he became a coach with the Nunawading Spectres.
basketball film, Blue Chips
as the starting point guard for a Rick Pitino
-coached college team. After retiring from basketball, Jordan accepted an offer to coach the Topeka Tornado of the short-lived semi-pro All-American Professional Basketball League
in 2005. He now resides in Victoria, Australia with his Australian wife and daughter.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California after his sophomore year in high school. He transferred to Cleveland High School
Cleveland High School (Los Angeles, California)
Grover Cleveland High School is a public school serving grades 9-12. Cleveland Humanities Magnet is part of Cleveland High School. The school is located in Reseda, in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California....
in Reseda
Reseda, Los Angeles, California
Reseda is a San Fernando Valley district in the city of Los Angeles, California.-History:The area now known as Reseda was originally inhabited by Native Americans of the Tongva tribe that lived close to the Los Angeles River....
and joined future NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
veteran Lucious Harris
Lucious Harris
Lucious H. Harris is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2nd round of the 1993 NBA Draft. Harris has played for the Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers in 12 NBA seasons...
as stars of the school's varsity basketball team. The New York native was a big factor on the Cleveland High Cavaliers' squad, playing big roles on offense
Offense (sports)
In sports, offense or offence , also known as attack, is the action of attacking or engaging an opposing team with the objective of scoring points or goals...
(averaging 13.8 points a game
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
) and defense (averaging 5.9 steals
Steal (basketball)
In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
per game) during the 1987–88 season. At the start of his senior year, Jordan was considered by some to be one of the state's top point guards and was named among the nation's 50 top-rated high school seniors by basketball scout Bob Gibbons
Bob Gibbons
Bob Gibbons is a talent scout specializing in American high school basketball players. He is based in Lenoir, North Carolina.Gibbons founded All-Star Sports in 1974. Before that, he was a high school player and coach...
. He completed his final high school season averaging 24.3 points
Point (basketball)
Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws ....
and 13.4 assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
per game, leading the Cavaliers to a 23–3 record and to the quarterfinals of the City Section tournament while earning back-to-back Valley 4-A All-League First Team recognition.
College career
While at Cleveland High, Jordan was heavily recruited by collegiate basketball programs, including the University of KansasUniversity of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
. At the time, Kansas was suffering from NCAA sanctions that stemmed from recruiting violations under former coach Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
. Though the scandal dissuaded other potential high school prospects from attending Kansas, Jordan nonetheless decided to take a chance with the school after he was impressed by the university's friendly and personal atmosphere. In the 1989-90 season, freshman Jordan came off the bench to back up starting Jayhawks point guard Kevin Pritchard
Kevin Pritchard
Kevin Lee Pritchard is a retired American professional basketball player.- College career :Pritchard played college basketball for the University of Kansas, where he was the starting point guard on the Jayhawks team that defeated the Oklahoma Sooners for the 1988 NCAA Division I men's basketball...
. Together they helped lead Kansas to a surprising record of 30–5 under second-year coach Roy Williams
Roy Williams (coach)
Roy Williams is head coach of the men's basketball team at the University of North Carolina. After averaging nearly an 80% win percentage in 15 seasons at the University of Kansas, he became the eighteenth head coach at North Carolina when he replaced Matt Doherty in 2003...
. With Pritchard's graduation, Jordan became the starting point guard for the 1990-91 season, leading the 27-8 Kansas Jayhawks to the Final Four during his sophomore year. Jordan averaged 12.5 points and recorded 151 assists that season while the team managed three upset victories in the 1991 NCAA Tournament against Indiana
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
(Sweet Sixteen), the Southeast Regional number one seed Arkansas (Elite Eight) and Eastern Regional number one seed North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
(National Semifinals) before finishing as National Runnerup to Duke
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
in the National Championship game.
Two years later, senior Jordan and teammate Rex Walters helped lead the Jayhawks to further success when they captured the 1993 Big Eight
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
Regular Season Championship and the second seed in the Midwest Region of the 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1993, and ended with the championship game on April 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
with a 25-6 record. Jordan and Walters' stellar backcourt performance earned them a reputation as one of the NCAA's best guard combinations. Kansas marched through the NCAA tournament, beating Midwest Region number one seed Indiana
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
in the Regional Final to advance to the Final Four for the second time in three years. Though Kansas eventually finished at 29-7 with a loss to North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
in the Final Four, the team's outstanding performance that year earned the squad a top ten nationwide ranking during the regular season, including a brief time spent at number one. Jordan's legacy with Kansas is also recognized in holding the Jayhawks' number six spot for most assists in the school's history and is 22nd on the school's all-time scoring list.
Professional career
Jordan was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonicsSeattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
in the 1993 NBA Draft
1993 NBA Draft
The 1993 NBA Draft took place on June 30, 1993 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The draft had some talented players at the top, but injuries and personal problems hurt many of them. Anfernee Hardaway, Allan Houston, and Jamal Mashburn all looked like possible Hall of Famers until their careers were cut...
after a storied basketball career at Kansas. Seattle ended up cutting the rookie at the start of the 1993–94 NBA season but Jordan reemerged in the league after being picked up by the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
later in the month on a 10-day contract. He appeared in six games with Denver before being waived again but finished the season in the CBA
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
with the Rochester Renegades and the Sioux Falls Skyforce
Sioux Falls Skyforce
The Sioux Falls Skyforce is a professional basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. They are based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The team plays at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Skyforce began in the CBA in 1989...
. The former Jayhawk headed to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in what would become the start of a series of overseas stints. His first stop landed him with the Australian National Basketball League
National Basketball League (Australia)
The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
's South East Melbourne Magic
South East Melbourne Magic
The South East Melbourne Magic were an Australian basketball team, that played in Melbourne, Victoria, in the National Basketball League. The team was the result of a merger of two Melbourne clubs for the 1992 season...
, where he led the team to an impressive record in 1994. After playing one season in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Jordan headed to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
where he joined the Cocodrilos de Caracas of the Liga Profesional de Baloncesto
Liga Profesional de Baloncesto (Venezuela)
The Liga Profesional de Baloncesto is the Venezuelan National Basketball League.-Teams:*Cocodrilos de Caracas*Guaiqueríes de Margarita*Trotamundos de Carabobo*Panteras de Miranda*Marinos de Anzoátegui*Gaiteros del Zulia*Guaros de Lara...
. With five years of overseas experience, the globetrotter returned to the States and signed two 10-day contracts with the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
in early 1999. He donned a Bucks uniform in four games before ultimately being released in March. Jordan returned overseas later that same year, where he would eventually finish his professional career. He played a season with the Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
Tapiolan Honka
Tapiolan Honka
Espoon Honka is a basketball club based in Espoo, Finland. Espoo is Finland's second largest city, with a population over 240,000. It is nearby Helsinki.Originally, one sport club Tapion Honka existed in Espoo. It was founded in 1957...
basketball club in 1999–2000 and returned to Australia where he retired after playing for the Victoria Giants
Victoria Titans
The Victoria Titans were an Australian basketball team, that played in Melbourne, Victoria, in the National Basketball League. The team was the result of a merger of two Melbourne clubs for the inaugural NBL summer season of 1998/99...
. In 2010, Jordan returned to basketball with the Chelsea
Chelsea, Victoria
Chelsea is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 30 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Kingston. At the 2006 Census, Chelsea had a population of 6694....
Gulls of the Big V
Big V
The Big V is the senior basketball league in Victoria, Australia comprising 102 semi-professional teams in 10 competitions.These competitions comprise both genders, and incorporate four levels of senior competition , three levels for women and youth leagues...
, a Victorian
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
basketball league. Later that year, he became a coach with the Nunawading Spectres.
Personal life
Jordan appeared in the 19941994 in film
1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
basketball film, Blue Chips
Blue Chips
Blue Chips is a 1994 drama film about basketball, directed by William Friedkin, written by Ron Shelton and starring Nick Nolte as a college coach and real-life basketball stars Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway as talented finds....
as the starting point guard for a Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach. Since 2001, he has been the head coach at the University of Louisville. He has also served as head coach at Boston University, Providence College and the University of Kentucky, leading that program to the NCAA championship in 1996...
-coached college team. After retiring from basketball, Jordan accepted an offer to coach the Topeka Tornado of the short-lived semi-pro All-American Professional Basketball League
All-American Professional Basketball League
The All-American Professional Basketball League was a minor basketball league formed in 2005 by Worth Christie. Announced on January 23, 2005 the league viewed itself as a direct minor league outlet for the National Basketball Association . The best players were to be promised salaries of up to...
in 2005. He now resides in Victoria, Australia with his Australian wife and daughter.
Awards and accomplishments
- 2x Valley 4-A All-League First Team (1987–88, 1988–89)
- Street & Smith's All-American Honorable Mention (1988)
- U.S. Olympic Festival: Men's Basketball West Team (1989)
- World University GamesUniversiadeThe Universiade is an International multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation . The name is a combination of the words "University" and "olympiad"...
: United States Men's Basketball (1991) - AP All-Big Eight Second Team (1990–91)
- AP All-Big Eight First Team (1991–92)
- 1998 KBL All Star
External links
- Adonis Jordan NBA stats @ basketball-reference.com
- Adonis Jordan @ IMDB.com