Philadelphia 76ers: ‘The Pellevator’ hopes to make the roster this year

They call him “The Pellevator.” Norvel Pelle Jr.’s athleticism makes him a YouTube star. This year he is hoping to finally play in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The most intriguing name on the Philadelphia 76ers roster is Norvel Pelle Jr.

Intriguing because he was once considered the best high school center in the country, but a series of unfortunate events prevented him from reaching his potential.

At 6’11″ with freakish athletic ability, Pelle could be a great rim protector off the bench in the NBA. His blocked shots are the stuff of legend and he once blocked three shots in 15 seconds in an NBA D-League game. 

Pelle is still looking for the chance to take his skills to the NBA, something that he has dreamed of since coming to this country as a child.

Norvel Pelle was born in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda. When he was seven years old, his family, like many immigrant families, moved to the Long Beach, California, for better work opportunities. 

Pelle played for three different high school powerhouses in the Los Angeles area and always excelled on the court, but not in the classroom. Coaches lured him from school to school for his talent, but apparently no one explained academic requirements to the young man.

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Seven universities offered Pelle full scholarships in 2012, including basketball powerhouses like Kansas and UCLA. He committed to St. John’s, but was ruled academically ineligible. He then tried Iona, but again was not allowed to play because of his marks.

Desperate to play, Pelle entered the NBA Draft, and was getting some second-round interest. But a strange outbreak of blisters and warts on his foot forced him out of workouts and into surgery.

Pelle signed with the the Delaware 87ers, the 76ers Development League partner. That started a professional career that would pinball around the world. He spent a year in Taiwan, went back to Delaware, then another year in Lebanon, another in Italy and now it seems he’ll be back in Delaware once again.

Because of his world traveling, Pelle now has triple-citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda, the United States and Lebanon. He plays for Lebanon’s national team in world competition.

With every stop came another addition to the highlight reel. For instance, in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup while playing for Lebanon against the Philippines, Pelle scored 23 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked nine shots. He missed getting a triple-double the hard way by one block. Oh, and by the way, all eight of his baskets were dunks.

The game earned Norvel the nickname, “The Pellevator.”

Can the “Pellevator” make the Philadelphia 76ers? The 25 year-old played very well in the NBA Summer League, leading the 76ers in blocks per game and averaging 7.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in only 13.8 minutes per game.

Still, it’s doubtful he’ll be on the opening day roster. His spot playing behind Joel Embiid is currently occupied by Amir Johnson, Mike Muscala (acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks), and Jonah Bolden, an Australian project the Sixers front office loves (even though Pelle outplayed him in Summer League).

However, a spot will undoubtedly open up at some point during the season. If the Pelle continues his highlight reel play with the newly named Delaware Blue Coats in the G League, he could get the chance to play in his first NBA game during the 2018-19 season.

In the meantime, it may be worth the trip to a G League game just to watch the “Pellevator” in action.