Elston Turner has enjoyed a truly outstanding career in the NBA, working close to three decades. His trip began as a first-round draft pick of the Portland Trail Blazers in 1996. Ever since, he’s spread his talent and knowledge across many teams including the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, and most recently the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now 65 years of age, Turner has had a long successful coaching career and has a wealth of knowledge to draw from when teaching players and developing them.
Turner’s coaching career is characterized by a noteworthy track record of postseason berths. He’s made the postseason 21 of his 27 years in coaching. It’s not hard to see why this sustained success has earned him the right to work with top talent like current Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards. Under head coach Chris Finch, who has been Turner’s colleague since 2021, Turner’s proven invaluable in helping to cultivate young talent. He’s constantly plotting and planning to do what his team needs to win ball games.
Prior to making the transition into coaching, Turner had an equally short playing career in the NBA that only spanned eight seasons. In those 505 regular-season games, he averaged just 4.7 points a game while grabbing 2.2 rebounds. He proved his talent during his time in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, and Chicago Bulls. As a player, he enjoyed two years as Michael Jordan’s teammate. All during his playing career, he went up against Jordan during this whole time. Turner’s development as a player at Ole Miss provided an excellent jumping-off point for what Turner should accomplish at the next level. Following his record-setting college career, he got drafted by the NBA.
Turner began his professional coaching career in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) with the Quad City Thunder. Read about how this exhilarating voyage started back in the 1994-1995 season. The turning point came when P.J. This opportunity opened the door for him to begin his own journey into professional coaching. He quickly made a name for himself in the NBA after joining the Trail Blazers and has not looked back since.
Throughout his coaching tenure, Turner has been involved in three or four All-Star Games, further solidifying his reputation within the league. His experience and success speak for itself. He has never gotten an opportunity to be an NBA head coach, even through seven years of interviewing for those jobs. Reflecting on this aspect of his career, Turner acknowledges that it may be past his prime to land a top coaching job.
In a recent interview with Andscape, Turner opened up about his long career and work experiences in the league. On his way out the door, he thanked the organization for his chance to coach and stressed the need to learn from every experience you get. As he contemplates what lies ahead in his career, he remains committed to mentoring players and contributing to the teams he serves.
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