Street Named for Elston Turner, Sr.
Friends, family and fans welcomed and celebrated Knoxville native, legendary Austin-East Roadrunner, NBA player and beloved coach Elston Turner at a joyful reception on Monday, February 21, 2022. A street in the new Austin Homes neighborhood will be named for him and officially revealed in May.
• Elston led the Austin-East Roadrunners to win the State Championships in 1977.
• He was named tournament MVP and Tennessee State Athlete of the Year.
• After graduation, Elston was a 2nd round draftee in the NBA in 1981 and played for 15 years.
• He’s been a pro basketball coach for more than 25 years.
• And he’s never forgotten his hometown.
For more than 20 years, the Pro Help Elston Turner Basketball Camp has helped teach youth the fundamentals of basketball and develop life skills.
From Dandridge Ave. to a Lifelong Career in Basketball
Elston Turner grew up in East Knoxville in the Dandridge Avenue area and starred as a basketball player at Vine Jr. High and Austin-East High School. He was All-America and led his the Austin-East Roadrunners team to the first AAA state championship for A-E in 1977.
He attended the University of Mississippi from 1977-1981 and led the Ole Miss Rebels to their first SEC Basketball Championship and its first NCAA appearance in the school’s history. He was also All-SEC in college.
In 1981, he was an NBA 2nd Round Draftee with the Dallas Mavericks. He had an eight year career in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and as a teammate to Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen with the Chicago Bulls. After retiring as a player from the NBA, he became an NBA coach. For the past 20 years he has been an Assistant Coach in the NBA.
