Fabulous Flournoy

Fabulous Flournoy MBE (born 31 July 1973) is a former professional basketball player who currently serves as the assistant video coordinator / player development for the Toronto Raptors.[1] He was previously the player-coach for the Newcastle Eagles, who compete in the British Basketball League.[2]

Fabulous Flournoy
MBE

Flournoy in 2011
Toronto Raptors
Position	Assistant Video Coordinator / Player Development
League	NBA
Personal information
Born	(1973-07-31) 31 July 1973 New York City, New York
Nationality	British
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Career information
College	Panola College (1991–1993) McNeese State (1993–1995)
NBA draft	1995 / Undrafted
Playing career	1996–2019
Coaching career	2003–present
Career history
As player:
1996–2000	Birmingham Bullets
2000–2001	Sheffield Sharks
2001–2019	Newcastle Eagles
As coach:
2003–2019	Newcastle Eagles
2019–present	Toronto Raptors (Assistant Video Coordinator / Player Development)

Born in New York City, New York, the 6'3" shooting guard/small forward, noted for his tenacious defence and very high standards, attended NJCAA Division 1 college Panola Junior College and was a student at NCAA Division 1 college McNeese State University.

After finishing college in 1996, Flournoy signed for British Basketball League team the Birmingham Bullets, making his debut against the Greater London Leopards on 15 September 1996. In his first season alone he clocked up 780 minutes averaging 8.5 points and 7 rebounds per game. Although his minutes were marginally shaved the following season, Flournoy still featured in all of the Bullets' 36 games, while helping his team to runners-up spot in the Championship and success in the Play-offs, beating London Towers in the final.

The following two seasons saw his appearances drop, featuring in only 23 games in the 1999–2000 season, although he still featured in the Play-off final against Manchester Giants where he posted 12 points in the Bullets' 65–74 loss. At the end of the season Flournoy signed for rival franchise Sheffield Sharks where he spent one year, playing in 34 games. With Flournoy's help, the Sharks won the BBL Northern Conference and again for Flournoy, finished as runners-up in the post-season Play-off's, this time losing 75–84 to the Leicester Riders.

Flournoy moved again in 2001 when he signed for the Newcastle Eagles.[3] After two mediocre seasons, he achieved two career-high records in the 2003–04 season, where he played 1258 minutes with a 10.75 PPG average. This was also the season when his career took a different turn accepting the role of head coach of the Eagles, while still a player, leading the team to a 6th-place finish and a Quarter-final Play-off exit with a 94–96 defeat to the Towers.

Not disheartened however, Flournoy returned the following year with a renewed sense of ambition and previous mid-tablers Newcastle took the British Basketball League by storm. Clocking up 1018 minutes, 6.92 PPG and 4.95 RPG in the 2004–05 season, Flournoy had a less than outstanding season on court. However, off court he led the Eagles to victories in both the Play-offs and the BBL Trophy, while finishing as runners-up to the Chester Jets in the Championship, and Fab himself picked up the BBL Coach of the Season award.

The 2005–06 season would prove to be even more remarkable for Fab, averaging 8.80 PPG and picking up 1121 minutes of action while leading the Eagles to the "Clean Sweep" of victories in the BBL Cup, Trophy, Championship and Play-offs, a feat repeated in 2011 and 2015.

A naturalised UK citizen, Flournoy won a bronze medal with the England national team at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. He earned 16 caps in total for England.

He has also served as a colour commentator for BBC Radio, including at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Flournoy was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to British basketball and the community in the North East.[4]

In 2019, Flournoy was hired as an assistant video coordinator by the Toronto Raptors of the NBA.[5] The move reunited Flournoy with his former coach, Nick Nurse. Nurse was responsible for signing Flournoy to his first profesional contract as a player for the Birmingham Bullets in 1996.