Overview
Norman Allen Van Lier III was an American professional basketball player and television broadcaster who spent the majority of his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Chicago Bulls. He was an NBA All-Star three times, a one-time second-team All-NBA selection, a first-team NBA All-Defensive Team selection three times, and a second-team NBA All-Defensive Team selection five times. Playing with the Cincinnati Royals in his second NBA season, Van Lier led the NBA in assists. He was widely praised for his all-around play on offense and defense, for his effort in playing persistently hard in games, and for raising his level of play in important games. He is one of two players in NBA history with a double-double in a game, without scoring any points in that game. He was closely associated with his Bulls' backcourt teammate Jerry Sloan, who were together considered among the greatest defensive guard duos in NBA history. An extremely popular player in Chicago, he later covered the Bulls as a sports broadcaster and commentator, with similar popularity among Chicago fans.