NBL Scoring Star Back with Island Storm
December 27, 2014 - National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada)
Island Storm News Release
(Charlottetown, PE) It felt like a double-double for Island STORM fans at the Annual STORM Boxing Day game Friday as the STORM came back to beat the Moncton Miracle 117-114 and also received the news through a video at halftime that former STORM scoring star Nick Okorie will return to the team for the second half of the NBL Canada season and playoff run.
Okorie started the year with the Aalborg Vikings of Denmark in that country's pro basketball league but decided he wanted to come back to North America and suit up with the STORM in 2015. Okorie was second in team scoring for the Vikings with over 16 per game while shooting 48% from the floor and over 80% from the foul line.
Nick Okorie comes back to a league where he spent 2 seasons, the first season and a half with the Mississauga/Oshawa Power while finishing last season with the Island STORM.
A Houston native who played his college ball at Texas Tech, Okorie has always been a producer with a steely will to win. His first year in the NBL saw him finish 4th in league scoring at 19 per game while shooting over 40% from behind the arc, 47% from the floor, and over 83% from the foul line.
Last season Okorie helped lead the STORM to the NBL Canada Finals. During the regular season he finished 5th in league scoring at 19.3 per game, 3rd in total points with 1,161, 3rd in 3 point shots made with 130, and 8th in steals with 72. He shot 37% from behind the arc and 81% from the foul line.
Some say the true mark of a tough competitor is how well they step up come playoff time. Okorie excelled last season in the playoffs and in the NBL Canada finals he averaged nearly 30 points per game in the best of seven series with Windsor scoring 30 or more points in 4 games.
"Bringing Nick back was a no brainer for our organization," says STORM Head Coach Joe Salerno. "He is the definition of a competitor, and his ability to score and distribute the ball is second to none. He knows us, our systems, our organization, and our fans. It will make for a smooth transition and he should be an immediate impact on both sides of the ball. We are very fortunate and excited to have Nick back in a Storm uniform"
Okorie is expected to be in the STORM lineup come New Year's Eve when the STORM hosts the Saint John Mill Rats at 7pm at Eastlink Centre. Tickets for that game are on sale now the Eastlink Box Office."â¹
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