1. Rodney King Thorn was born on May 23,1941 and is an American basketball executive and a former professional player and coach, Olympic Committee Chairman, with a career spanning over 50 years.
27 Facts About Rod Thorn
1. 2.
In 2018, Thorn was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
3.
Rod Thorn attracted nationwide attention after a high school basketball career at Princeton High School in his hometown of Princeton, West Virginia that saw him average more than 30 points per game as a senior.
4.
Rod Thorn was a three-time all-state selection and was a two-time High School All-American.
5.
Rod Thorn was a highly regarded high school baseball player, before a head injury took him away from the sport for a time.
6.
Rod Thorn was looking at colleges, including Duke University, when the West Virginia State Legislature passed a resolution designating Rod Thorn as a state Natural Resource.
7.
Rod Thorn was the Southern Conference Player of the Year and a Second Team All-American selection, beside John Havlicek of Ohio State University, among others.
8.
Rod Thorn was again selected as a Second Team All-American beside Bill Bradley, among others.
9.
Rod Thorn was the No 2 overall pick of the 1963 NBA draft, drafted by the Baltimore Bullets.
10.
Detroit, with Rod Thorn averaging 13.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists, traded him on December 24,1965.
11.
Rod Thorn averaged 8.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in 46 games with the Hawks as a reserve.
12.
On May 1,1967, Rod Thorn was drafted by the expansion Seattle SuperSonics from the St Louis Hawks in the NBA expansion draft.
13.
Rod Thorn concluded his career as a player with the Seattle SuperSonics.
14.
In 1978, Rod Thorn became the general manager of the Chicago Bulls and served in that role until March 1985.
15.
Rod Thorn hired Jerry Sloan as Head Coach, drafted Reggie Theus and had Artis Gilmore in the middle.
16.
Rod Thorn hired Kevin Loughery, his former teammate and coach with Nets, as head coach in 1983.
17.
Rod Thorn negated numerous trade offers for the Bulls' No 3 pick in 1984.
18.
However, Rod Thorn drafted Jordan, and the Bulls' foundation was in place.
19.
From 1986 to 2000 Rod Thorn was the NBA's Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, serving as the league's chief disciplinarian.
20.
Rod Thorn chaired the USA Basketball Men's National Team Selection Committee in 1992,1996 and 2000.
21.
Rod Thorn rejoined the Nets organization on June 2,2000, and he was named the NBA Executive of the Year in 2002 after the Nets advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
22.
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.
23.
In 2012, Tony DiLeo was named the team's general manager, but Rod Thorn retained his title as president.
24.
On July 10,2013, the National Basketball Association announced that Rod Thorn had been named President of Basketball Operations, effective August 1, after Stu Jackson decided to step down.
25.
In 2015, Rod Thorn, semi-retired, became a Special Consultant for the Milwaukee Bucks.
26.
Rod Thorn graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in political science while playing and coaching for the SuperSonics.
27.
Rod Thorn has a unique background and a unique personal approach.