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 Thorn fromThe Monticola, 1963 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1941-05-23)May 23, 1941 (age 84) Princeton, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Princeton (Princeton, West Virginia) |
| College | West Virginia (1960–1963) |
| NBA draft | 1963: 1st round, 2nd overall pick |
| Drafted by | Baltimore Bullets |
| Playing career | 1963–1971 |
| Position | Point guard /shooting guard |
| Number | 44, 10, 22 |
| Coaching career | 1971–1978, 1981–1982 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1963–1964 | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1964–1965 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1965–1967 | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1967–1971 | Seattle SuperSonics |
Coaching | |
| 1971–1972 | Seattle SuperSonics (assistant) |
| 1973–1975 | New York Nets (assistant) |
| 1975–1976 | Spirits of St. Louis |
| 1976–1978 | New York / New Jersey Nets (assistant) |
| 1981–1982 | Chicago Bulls (interim) |
| Career highlights | |
As player:
As executive: | |
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 5,012 (10.8 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,463 (3.1 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,214 (2.6 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Rodney King Thorn (born May 23, 1941) is an Americanbasketball executive and a former professional player, coach and Olympic Committee Chairman with a career spanning over 50 years. In 2018, Thorn was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Thorn attracted nationwide attention after a high school basketball career atPrinceton High School in his hometown ofPrinceton, West Virginia that saw him average more than 30 points per game as a senior. He was a three-time all-state selection and was a two-time High School All-American.[1]
Thorn was also a highly regarded high schoolbaseball player, before a head injury took him away from the sport for a time.[2]
Thorn was looking at colleges, includingDuke University, when the West Virginia State Legislature passed a resolution designating Thorn as a state Natural Resource. This in order to persuade him to emulate nativeJerry West and attendWest Virginia University. Thorn did just that.[2][3]
Thorn attendedWest Virginia University. He wore #44, the same number asJerry West, who had just graduated.[3] At WVU, he was an All-American guard in basketball, as well as playing three seasons on the WVU baseball team.[4]
In 1960–61, as a sophomore (freshmen could not play varsity in his era), Thorn averaged 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists for CoachGeorge King and the 23–4West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team.[5]
Thorn improved and West Virginia finished 24–6 in 1961–62. The Mountaineers were invited to the1962 NCAA University Division basketball tournament, where they lost to Villanova 90–75.[6] Thorn averaged 23.7 points and 12.1 rebounds. He was theSouthern Conference Player of the Year and a Second Team All-American selection, besideJohn Havlicek of Ohio State University, among others.[7][8]
In 1962–63, Thorn averaged 22.5 points and 9.0 rebounds as a senior. West Virginia finished 23–8 and qualified for the1963 NCAA University Division basketball tournament. In the NCAA's, they defeated Connecticut 77–71, as Thorn had 17 points and 7 rebounds. Thorn was outstanding in the Mountaineers' 97–88 loss to St. Josephs, scoring 44 points in the defeat. He then scored 33 points with 9 rebounds in a 83–73 win over New York University in the East Region third place game, his final collegiate game.[9][10] Thorn was again selected as a Second Team All-American besideBill Bradley, among others.[7]
Overall, Thorn averaged 21.8 points and 11.1 rebounds in 81 games during his three seasons at West Virginia.[8]
Thorn was the No. 2 overall pick of the1963 NBA draft, drafted by theBaltimore Bullets.[11]
In his rookie season 1963–64, Thorn was named to theNBA All-Rookie Team averaging 14.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the Bullets under Hall of Fame CoachSlick Leonard.[12]
Following his first season, Thorn was traded on June 18, 1964. Baltimore traded Thorn, withTerry Dischinger andDon Kojis to theDetroit Pistons forBob Ferry, future Hall of FamerBailey Howell,Les Hunter,Wali Jones andDon Ohl. In 1964–65, Thorn averaged 10.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists for the Pistons. The team did not make the playoffs under Charles Wolf (2–9) and 24-year-old player/coachDave DeBusschere (29–40).[13][14]
Detroit, with Thorn averaging 13.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists, traded him on December 24, 1965. The Pistons sent Thorn to theSt. Louis Hawks forJohn Tresvant andChico Vaughn. Thorn averaged 8.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in 46 games with the Hawks as a reserve. Playing alongside Future Hall of FamersRichie Guerin (player/coach),Zelmo Beaty,Lenny Wilkens andCliff Hagan, as well asJoe Caldwell,Paul Silas andBill Bridges, Thorn saw his minutes reduced. The Hawks lost theLos Angeles Lakers in the Western Division Finals 4–3 after having beaten Baltimore 3–0 to advance.[15]
In 1966–67, Thorn averaged 8.8 points and 2.4 rebounds for the Hawks as they addedLou Hudson and finished 39–42. The Hawks defeated the expansionChicago Bulls 3–0 in the playoffs, before losing to theSan Francisco Warriors withRick Barry andNate Thurmond 4–2 in the Western Division finals. Thorn averaged 10.2 points in the series.[16][17]
On May 1, 1967, Thorn was drafted by the expansionSeattle SuperSonics from the St. Louis Hawks in the NBA expansion draft. He concluded his career as a player with theSeattle SuperSonics (1967–1971).[18]
Thorn averaged a career high 15.2 points with 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists, in 1967–68, as the expansion SuperSonics finished 23–58 under CoachAl Bianchi.[19]
The SuperSonics improved to 30–52 in 1968–69, with Thorn averaging 11.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists at age 27.[20]
Thorn's teammate from St. Louis, Lenny Wilkens became the player/Coach of the SuperSonics in 1969–70 and the team improved to 36–46, in Wilkens' first Coaching season. Wilkens would lead the SuperSonics to the NBA Championship in 1979, and would coach in the NBA until 2005, winning 1332 games in 32 seasons.[21][22] Injured, Thorn averaged 2.9 points in 19 games.
In 1970–71, Thorn finished his playing career, playing in 63 games off the bench, averaging 5.6 points and 2.9 assists for the 38–44 SuperSonics.[23]
Overall, in eight NBA seasons, Thorn averaged 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 466 games.[13]
In 1971–72, Thorn joined his former teammate and coach Lenny Wilkens as an assistant with the SuperSonics and the team finished 47–35.[24][25]
In 1973, former teammateKevin Loughery was head coach and hired Thorn as assistant coach of theNew York Nets of theAmerican Basketball Association for $15,000.[2] The Nets then won the1974 ABA championship, led byJulius Erving.[26]
Thorn was hired the head coach of theSpirits of St. Louis with then-starMarvin Barnes for the1975–76 ABA season. The Spirits' roster also included Hall of FamerMoses Malone,Caldwell Jones,Mike D'Antoni,Gus Gerard,Maurice Lucas,Ron Boone,M.L. Carr andDon Chaney, but after a 20–27 start he was fired in December, 1975 and replaced byJoe Mullaney.[27]
Thorn had discipline issues with Barnes. "Marvin would come late for everything,” Thorn said years later. "You couldn't depend on him. He'd say, 'I'm giving you 24 and 12 every night. You better talk to the others.' He'd come late on purpose to show, 'You don't control me. I'm in charge.'"[2]
Thorn returned to the New York Nets and Loughery as an assistant coach when the franchise joined the NBA in 1976–77. The team had been forced to move Erving to thePhiladelphia 76ers and was playing with a depleted roster. Thorn left the position after the 1977–78 season to move to the front office in Chicago.[24]
In 1978, Thorn became the general manager of theChicago Bulls and served in that role until March 1985. Thorn hiredJerry Sloan as Head Coach, draftedReggie Theus and hadArtis Gilmore in the middle. Thorn replaced Sloan on the bench to finish the 1981–82 season (15–15).[28][29]
Thorn hiredKevin Loughery, his former teammate and coach with Nets, as head coach in 1983.
In 1984, he famously oversaw team's selection ofMichael Jordan with the No. 3 pick of the1984 NBA draft.[30] (he also selected track starCarl Lewis, with the draft on the eve of the1984 Olympic Games, simply for patriotic publicity purposes).[31]
Thorn negated numerous trade offers for the Bulls' No. 3 pick in 1984. There was maneuvering for Jordan to go to Philadelphia where North Carolina starBilly Cunningham was the 76ers coach. There was further speculation Thorn might select Jordan's North Carolina's teammateSam Perkins, (who was drafted at No. 4), because the Bulls had recently selected shooting guards in previous drafts and Thorn had just traded All-Star Reggie Theus. However, Thorn drafted Jordan, and the Bulls' foundation was in place.[2]
Thorn left the Bulls when he and Loughery were fired in March 1985 and new ownerJerry Reinsdorf hiredJerry Krause as G.M.[32]
From 1986 to 2000 Thorn was the NBA's Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, serving as the league's chief disciplinarian.[33]
Thorn chaired theUSA Basketball Men's National Team Selection Committee in 1992, 1996 and 2000. The "Dream Team" for the1992 Summer Olympics (Barcelona) was assembled and the committee put together the Olympic gold-medal USA teams in1996 and2000.[34]
Thorn rejoined the Nets organization on June 2, 2000, and he was named theNBA Executive of the Year in 2002 after the Nets advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.[35] During the 2010 offseason, Rod Thorn announced he would step down from the Nets' organization.
On August 11, 2010, Thorn was hired as president of the 76ers, taking over the title fromEd Stefanski, who remained with the team as the general manager.[36]
On October 18, 2011, prior to a press conference introducing the 76ers' new ownership group, it was announced that Stefanski was leaving the organization and Thorn would be both president and general manager. In 2012,Tony DiLeo was named the team's general manager, but Thorn retained his title as president.[37]
On July 10, 2013, theNational Basketball Association announced that Rod Thorn had been named President of Basketball Operations, effective August 1, afterStu Jackson decided to step down.[38]
On April 26, 2014, Thorn, on behalf of the NBA, suspended WizardNene Hilario from game 4 of the first round of the NBA playoffs.[39]
In 2015, Thorn briefly retired from the NBA.[40]
In 2015, Thorn, semi-retired, became a Special Consultant for theMilwaukee Bucks.[34][41]
Of his career, “I’ve been unbelievably fortunate to be in the right place so many times,” said Thorn. "To come from a place with 7,000 people sometimes you pinch yourself and think, 'Wow, how fortunate I've been.' When I played we got $8 in meal money. We were like a barnstorming league. I can remember playing 16 straight days in preseason in one little high school after the next. You couldn't tell me the NBA would end up where it is and I would be a first hand witness to so many great things. That's one of the things I'm proudest of, just being on the scene and sometimes having a little something to do with what transpired. It's been a lot of fun."[2]
He graduated from theUniversity of Washington with a degree in political science while playing and coaching for the SuperSonics.[2]
Thorn and his wife, Peggy, have a son, Jonathan, and twin daughters, Amanda and Jessica.[25]
"I'm not sure there are any others who have the hard earned understanding of the game," former NBA commissionerDavid Stern said about Thorn. "People forget he drafted Michael Jordan, forget the Nets (under Thorn) were in the Finals two years in a row (after he pulled off theJason Kidd trade), forget he was with the 76ers when they beat the Bulls in the playoffs as an eighth seed. He has a unique background and a unique personal approach."[2]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963–64 | Baltimore | 75 | — | 34.6 | .405 | — | .731 | 4.8 | 3.7 | — | — | 14.4 |
| 1964–65 | Detroit | 74 | — | 23.9 | .427 | — | .724 | 3.6 | 2.2 | — | — | 11.0 |
| 1965–66 | Detroit | 27 | — | 30.2 | .417 | — | .732 | 3.7 | 2.4 | — | — | 13.9 |
| 1965–66 | St. Louis | 46 | — | 20.1 | .423 | — | .690 | 2.4 | 1.8 | — | — | 8.8 |
| 1966–67 | St. Louis | 67 | — | 17.4 | .445 | — | .727 | 2.4 | 1.8 | — | — | 8.8 |
| 1967–68 | Seattle | 66 | — | 25.3 | .451 | — | .737 | 4.0 | 3.5 | — | — | 15.2 |
| 1968–69 | Seattle | 29 | — | 19.6 | .463 | — | .732 | 2.9 | 2.8 | — | — | 11.5 |
| 1969–70 | Seattle | 19 | — | 5.5 | .444 | — | .625 | .8 | .9 | — | — | 2.9 |
| 1970–71 | Seattle | 63 | — | 12.2 | .472 | — | .676 | 1.6 | 2.9 | — | — | 5.6 |
| Career | 466 | — | 22.3 | .433 | — | .723 | 3.1 | 2.6 | — | — | 10.8 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | St. Louis | 10 | — | 11.9 | .308 | — | .778 | 1.7 | 1.0 | — | — | 3.8 |
| 1967 | St. Louis | 9 | — | 17.3 | .429 | — | .926 | 3.1 | 1.2 | — | — | 10.1 |
| Career | 19 | — | 14.5 | .388 | — | .867 | 2.4 | 1.1 | — | — | 6.8 | |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) · Basketball Reference