Norvel Pelle

Norvel Pelle Jr.
Born	(1993-02-03) February 3, 1993 St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Known for	Playing for multiple NBA teams and Lebanese national team

Norvel Pelle Jr. (born February 3, 1993) is a professional basketball player of Lebanese and Antiguan descent who most recently competed for the Knox Raiders in the NBL1 South. Standing at , he plays the position of center. Pelle attended three different high schools in the Los Angeles region and was regarded as one of the premier prospects in his graduating class. Due to not meeting academic standards for college admission, he opted to begin his professional career in 2013.

Pelle’s professional journey started with the Delaware 87ers in the NBA Development League. He then moved on to play for the Dacin Tigers in Taiwan’s Super Basketball League, where he earned recognition as an All-Star. After returning briefly to Delaware, he signed with Lebanese team Homenetmen Beirut in 2015, where he led the league in blocked shots. Pelle subsequently spent two seasons competing in Italy’s top-tier league, LBA, with Pallacanestro Varese, concluding the 2017–18 campaign at Auxilium Torino.

In the NBA, Pelle has been rostered by the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He holds citizenship from Antigua, the United States, and Lebanon and has represented the Lebanese national team internationally.

Early life

Born in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda to Norvel Sr. and Darlene Pelle, Norvel Pelle Jr. relocated with his family at age three to Saint Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. When he was seven years old, they moved to the United States seeking improved employment opportunities. His father was employed as a welder, while his mother worked managing a garden center within a Home Depot store.

High school career

Pelle’s basketball journey began at Lakewood High School located in Lakewood, California, where he quickly emerged as a leading recruit nationally. He later transferred to Manuel Dominguez High School in Compton, California, playing under coach Duane Cooper. Following Cooper’s departure, Pelle switched schools again to Frederick K. C. Price High School in Los Angeles. Transfer regulations caused him to miss his junior year; during that season, his team secured the CIF Southern Section Division 4AA title without his participation. In his senior campaign, Pelle averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks per game.

Ranked by Rivals.com as the top center prospect and rated as a four-star recruit by both ESPN and 247Sports, Pelle encountered academic difficulties. He earned a 2.6 GPA and failed college entrance examinations twice. Initially committing to the St. John's Red Storm, he was declared ineligible due to summer courses taken at Northeast Preparatory School in Philadelphia not meeting NCAA criteria. After decommitting from St. John's, he signed with the Iona Gaels, but again did not satisfy academic eligibility requirements. Subsequently, Pelle played at Los Angeles College Preparatory Academy while exploring professional opportunities.

Delaware 87ers (2013–2014)

Forgoing college basketball entirely, Pelle entered the 2013 NBA draft with hopes of becoming the first player drafted without collegiate or international experience since 2005. However, he withdrew shortly before the draft due to severe foot blisters and warts that necessitated surgical treatment. Later that year, Pelle was selected sixth overall in the 2013 NBA Development League draft by the Delaware 87ers. During the 2013–14 season, he posted averages of 5.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks over 13.1 minutes per contest, highlighted by an 18-point performance on December 11 against the Idaho Stampede.

Dacin Tigers (2014–2015)

On July 29, 2014, Pelle inked a deal with Taiwan’s Super Basketball League team, the Dacin Tigers. Throughout more than 30 contests, he posted averages of 15.3 points and 14.2 rebounds per game. In December 2014, Pelle delivered a remarkable double-double performance with 27 points and 26 rebounds against Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Basketball. His efforts earned him a spot in the SBL All-Star game and an honorable mention on Asia-Basket.com’s All-SBL list.

Return to the 87ers (2015)

Pelle returned to the Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League on March 10, 2015, though he appeared in only four games during the remainder of the 2014–15 season. His best outing came on March 20 versus the Erie BayHawks, where he tallied 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 blocks. He concluded his stint averaging 5.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per contest.

Homenetmen Beirut (2015–2016)

On December 14, 2015, Pelle signed with Lebanese Basketball League club Homenetmen Beirut. Notably, on January 20, 2016, he contributed 3 points alongside an impressive 23 rebounds in a 96–88 win over Al Moutahed. Over the course of 32 games, Pelle averaged 11.8 points and 12.7 rebounds while leading the league with an average of 2.9 blocks per game.

He also took part in the Miami Heat’s roster for the NBA Summer League held in Orlando in 2016.

Varese (2016–2018)

Pelle committed to a two-year contract with Italy’s Lega Basket Serie A team Pallacanestro Varese on July 28, 2016. Upon signing, head coach Paolo Moretti highlighted Pelle’s explosive power, aggressive style, and athletic capabilities.

In addition, Pelle competed for the Miami Heat during the NBA Summer League events in Orlando and Las Vegas in 2017.

Auxilium Torino (2018)

On February 13, 2018, Pelle joined Auxilium Pallacanestro Torino to complete the remainder of the 2017–18 campaign.

Delaware Blue Coats (2018–2019)

Following that season, Pelle participated with the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2018 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks across five games. He later attended the Sixers’ training camp but was released on October 10, 2018. Subsequently, Pelle signed onto the Delaware Blue Coats training camp roster. On January 23, 2019, he was handed a five-game suspension without pay due to a violation of the G League’s Anti-Drug policy.

Homenetmen Beirut (2019)

On March 30, 2019, Pelle re-signed with Homenetmen Beirut for the remainder of that Lebanese Basketball League season.

Philadelphia 76ers (2019–2020)

Pelle secured a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers on July 2, 2019. This agreement was subsequently converted into a standard NBA contract on February 7, 2020.

Canton Charge (2021)

On December 19, 2020, Pelle was briefly signed and waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He then joined the Canton Charge roster on January 22, 2021.

Brooklyn Nets (2021)

Pelle signed with the Brooklyn Nets on January 28, 2021; however, after appearing in three games, he was waived on February 16.

Return to the Charge (2021)

He returned to play for the Canton Charge on February 21, 2021.

Sacramento Kings (2021)

On February 25, 2021, Pelle inked a 10-day agreement with the Sacramento Kings.

New York Knicks (2021)

Pelle secured a 10-day contract with the New York Knicks on April 2, 2021, which was extended by another 10-day contract on April 12. Subsequently, he signed a multi-year contract on April 22, but was released on July 31.

Third tenure with the Charge (2021)

Pelle rejoined the Cleveland Charge on November 15, 2021. On December 25, he signed a 10-day contract with the Boston Celtics, although he did not participate in any games during that period.

Utah Jazz (2022)

The Utah Jazz brought Pelle on board with a 10-day contract on January 7, 2022. He took part in three games while with the Jazz.

Fourth tenure with the Charge (2022)

Following the conclusion of his 10-day stint with Utah, Pelle was reacquired by the Cleveland Charge on January 20, 2022.

Fort Wayne Mad Ants (2022–2023)

During the NBA preseason of 2022, Pelle was involved with both the Portland Trail Blazers and the Indiana Pacers. He later joined the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in October 2022. On February 14, 2023, Pelle was traded to the Capitanes de la Ciudad de México, though he did not appear in any games for them.

Shahrdari Gorgan (2023–2024)

On September 8, 2023, Pelle signed with Shahrdari Gorgan, competing in the Iranian Basketball Super League.

Beirut Club (2024–2025)

Pelle committed to Beirut Club of the Lebanese Basketball League on July 19, 2024.

Knox Raiders (2025)

In April 2025, Pelle joined the Knox Raiders for the NBL1 South season. Over 12 games, he averaged 12.17 points and grabbed 6.58 rebounds per contest.

National team career

Although Pelle holds citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda, Lebanon, and the United States, he represents the Lebanon men's national basketball team at international competitions. His debut came at the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup, where he averaged 9.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and an impressive 4.0 blocks per game, aiding Lebanon to finish sixth overall. A standout performance occurred against the Philippines when he nearly recorded a triple-double with totals of 23 points, 13 rebounds, and nine blocks. He sports jersey number #12 while playing for Lebanon.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia | 24 || 0 || 9.7 || .521 || .000 || .500 || 3.0 || .3 || .1 || 1.3 || 2.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Brooklyn | 3 || 0 || 9.3 || .429 || .000 || .000 || 2.3 || .0 || .0 || 1.0 || 2.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Sacramento | 1 || 0 || 4.0 || .000 || .000 || .750 || 1.0 || 1.0 || .0 || .0 || 3.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|New York | 9 || 0 || 5.8 || .714 || .000 || .500 || 1.2 || .1 || .1 || .7 || 1.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Utah | 3 || 0 || 6.3 || .600 || .000 || .000 || 2.0 || .0 || .0 || .3 || 2.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 40 || 0 || 8.4 || .529 || .000 || .550 || 2.4 || .3 || .1 || 1.0 || 2.1

Playoff Performance

|- | style="text-align:left;"|2020 | style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia | 1 || 0 || 6.5 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .0 || .0 || 1.0 || 1.0 || .0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Overall | 1 || 0 || 6.5 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .0 || .0 || 1.0 || 1.0 || .0