Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (2008–present)
Norwood was the first overall pick in the 2008 PBA Draft by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. [5] During the 2009 PBA All-Star Week, Norwood won in the Slam Dunk Contest among locals. He failed to beat the 2006 NCAA Slam Dunk Champion and Barangay Ginebra Kings import, David Noel, who won the same contest but among the imports. He won the 2008–09 PBA Rookie of the Year Award for his promising performance inside the court. [6] He was also named into the Second Mythical Team.
In the 2010 All-Star Game in Puerto Princesa, Norwood won the Handy Fix All-Star Game MVP for his highlight dunks and moves and also because of his baskets in the critical moments of the game. [7] He had 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and a block. He led the North All-Stars to a 133–130 win over the South All-Stars. He finished that season as a member of the All-Defensive Team, and became Defensive Player of the Year. [8]
In 2011, he agreed to an P8.4 million two-year contract-extension deal. [9] The following year, he won his first championship during the Governors' Cup. [8]
In Game 3 of the 2012-13 Philippine Cup quarterfinals, Norwood stepped up with 21 points and 6 assists to eliminate Ginebra and move on to the semis. [10] They made it all the way to the finals, [11] where they lost to the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters. [12] The next conference, which was the Commissioner's Cup, Rain or Shine went on a 5-game winning streak, but it was snapped by Talk 'N Text, which was their sixth straight loss to that team. [13] They lost to Ginebra in the quarterfinals that conference. [14] In the quarterfinals against the Globalport Batang Pier in the Governors' Cup, he hit a corner three with 17.8 seconds left that eventually sent Rain or Shine to the semifinals. [15] In the semis, Rain or Shine lost to the Petron Blaze Boosters. [16] He finished his season a member of the All-Defensive Team. [17]
In their matchup against the Barako Bull Energy in the 2013-14 Philippine Cup, Norwood stole a pass for Mick Pennisi and made two free throws to seal the win for Rain or Shine. [18] They made it to the finals that year, along with the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers. In Game 1, he made an alley-oop pass to Paul Lee with 0.9 seconds remaining that gave Rain or Shine the lead. Lee then sealed the win with a technical free throw when San Mig sued for time without any timeouts left. [19] San Mig eventually won the series in the next five games. [20] They rematched again in the Governors' Cup finals. [21] But it was the same result, as San Mig won the series, capturing the first Grand Slam since the Alaska Aces did it in 1996. [22]
Once again Rain Or Shine made another finals stint in the 2015 Commissioner's Cup going up against Talk 'N Text but they failed to secure the championship on their belt after a competitive second overtime in Game 7. TNT was led by Jayson Castro who was named the Best Player of the Conference and Ranidel de Ocampo who was named the Finals MVP. [23] [24]
Norwood won his second title during the 2016 Commissioner's Cup. [25] On October 14, 2016, he was recognized during the PBA Leo Awards Night as he was named to the All-Defensive Team. [26] He also re-signed with the team for two more years. [27]
Norwood missed some time the next season due to a viral infection. [28] Unfortunately, they were not able to defend their Commissioner's Cup title. [29] In his first game of the Governors' Cup after playing for the national team in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup, he had 15 points and 11 rebounds while playing 37 minutes in a win against the Star Hotshots. [30] Several weeks later, he scored 17 points in a win against the Phoenix Fuel Masters. [31] Rain or Shine was eliminated in the quarterfinals by the San Miguel Beermen. [32] He was given the Sportsmanship Award and was on the All-Defensive Team. [33]
In 2018, Norwood was once again on the All-Defensive Team, which was his sixth straight inclusion. [34]
In 2021, Norwood made three of his four three-point attempts as he finished with 15 points that helped Rain or Shine beat the Terrafirma Dyip. [35] Norwood and his team didn't have a very successful season, as Rain or Shine was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Philippine Cup by Magnolia, [36] and didn't make the playoffs of the Governors' Cup. [37]
In 2023, Norwood reached the 5,000 points milestone in a win over TNT in which they qualified for the 2023–24 Commissioner's Cup playoffs. [38] There, they were eliminated by San Miguel. [39]
