College - Mississippi

Elston Turner begins his first season as an assistant coach with the Rockets. Before coming to Houston, Turner spent six seasons as an assistant coach on Rick Adelman’s staff in Sacramento, serving the final two campaigns as the lead assistant.

With the Kings, Turner’s responsibilities included handling the team’s game plan, individual skill work with players and advance scouting. Turner and the Kings coaching staff also helped Adelman coach the Western Conference All-Star Team in the 2001 NBA All-Star Game in Washington and the 2003 NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta.

Turner joined the Kings after spending four years in a similar capacity with the Portland Trail Blazers. He began his coaching career in the CBA as an assistant coach for the Quad City Thunder and as a player/coach with the Chicago Rockers.

As a 6-foot-5 guard, Turner was noted for his defensive tenacity in eight seasons with the Dallas Mavericks (1981-82, 1982-83 and 1983-84), Denver Nuggets (1984-85, 1985-86 and 1988-89) and Chicago Bulls (1986-87 and 1987-88). Overall, Turner averaged 4.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 505 career games in the NBA. He also played parts of five seasons in the CBA and three years in Europe following his NBA career.

Turner was selected by Dallas in the second round (43rd overall) of the 1981 NBA Draft after a standout collegiate career at the University of Mississippi. As a senior (1980-81), Turner led Ole Miss to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. His collegiate accomplishments were honored in 2000 when he was inducted into the Ole Miss M-Club Athletic Hall of Fame.

Born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, Turner and his wife, Louise, have two children; son, Elston Jr. and daughter, Taylor.