Rod Thorn

Rod Thorn
Rod Thorn
Born	May 23, 1941 (age 85); Princeton, West Virginia, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Basketball executive, former professional basketball player, coach, Olympic Committee Chairman
Years active	1963–present
Known for	NBA executive; Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (2018); drafting Michael Jordan; NBA Executive of the Year (2002)

Rodney King Thorn (born May 23, 1941) is a distinguished American basketball executive, former professional athlete, coach, and Olympic Committee Chairman with a career exceeding five decades. In 2018, Thorn was honored with induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Early life

Thorn first garnered widespread recognition following an exceptional high school basketball tenure at Princeton High School in Princeton, West Virginia, where he averaged more than 30 points per game during his senior year. He earned three all-state selections and was named a High School All-American twice.

In addition to basketball, Thorn excelled as a high school baseball player until a head injury forced him to stop playing.

When evaluating his college options, including Duke University, the West Virginia State Legislature passed a resolution declaring Thorn a state Natural Resource to encourage his enrollment at West Virginia University, continuing the legacy of fellow native Jerry West. Thorn ultimately chose to attend West Virginia University.

College career

At West Virginia University, Thorn donned jersey number 44, following in the footsteps of alumnus Jerry West. He distinguished himself as an All-American guard on the basketball team and competed for three seasons on the WVU baseball squad.

During the 1960–61 season as a sophomore under Coach George King, Thorn posted averages of 18.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while contributing to the 23–4 record of the West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team.

Thorn elevated his performance in 1961–62, averaging 23.7 points and 12.1 rebounds as West Virginia achieved a 24–6 record and qualified for the 1962 NCAA University Division basketball tournament. His efforts earned him Southern Conference Player of the Year honors and Second Team All-American recognition alongside prominent players such as John Havlicek.

In his final collegiate season (1962–63), Thorn averaged 22.5 points and 9.0 rebounds. The Mountaineers finished with a 23–8 record and advanced in the 1963 NCAA University Division basketball tournament, where Thorn scored an impressive 44 points in a loss to St. Joseph's and recorded 33 points with nine rebounds in their concluding game against New York University. He was again named to the Second Team All-American roster alongside notable figures like Bill Bradley.

Throughout his three seasons at West Virginia, Thorn maintained career averages of 21.8 points and 11.1 rebounds across 81 games.

Baltimore Bullets

Selected as the second overall pick in the 1963 NBA draft by the Baltimore Bullets, Thorn made an immediate impact during his rookie campaign (1963–64). Under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach Slick Leonard, he earned a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Team, posting averages of 14.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists.

Detroit Pistons

Following his inaugural season, Thorn was involved in a trade on June 18, 1964, moving to the Detroit Pistons along with teammates Terry Dischinger and Don Kojis. The Bullets received Bob Ferry, future Hall of Famer Bailey Howell, Les Hunter, Wali Jones, and Don Ohl in return. During the 1964–65 season with Detroit, Thorn averaged 10.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. Despite efforts under coaches Charles Wolf and player/coach Dave DeBusschere, the Pistons did not qualify for the postseason.

St. Louis Hawks

On December 24, 1965, Thorn was traded by Detroit to the St. Louis Hawks in exchange for John Tresvant and Chico Vaughn. Serving primarily as a reserve alongside future Hall of Famers Richie Guerin (who also served as player/coach), Zelmo Beaty, Lenny Wilkens, and Cliff Hagan, Thorn averaged 8.8 points and 2.4 rebounds across 46 games. The Hawks advanced to the Western Division Finals but were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers after sweeping Baltimore in the previous round.

During the 1966–67 season, Thorn maintained consistent averages of 8.8 points and 2.4 rebounds. The Hawks bolstered their roster with star addition Lou Hudson and finished with a 39–42 record. In the playoffs, they swept the expansion Chicago Bulls before falling to the San Francisco Warriors, led by Rick Barry and Nate Thurmond, in the Western Division Finals. Thorn elevated his playoff scoring to an average of 10.2 points per game during that series.

Seattle SuperSonics

On May 1, 1967, Thorn was selected by the expansion Seattle SuperSonics from the St. Louis Hawks during the NBA expansion draft, where he completed his playing tenure spanning from 1967 to 1971.

In his first season with Seattle (1967–68), Thorn achieved career-best averages of 15.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists as the fledgling SuperSonics concluded with a 23–58 record under Coach Al Bianchi. The following year (1968–69), Seattle improved to a 30–52 mark while Thorn averaged 11.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.

Lenny Wilkens, who had been Thorn’s teammate previously, took over as player/coach in the 1969–70 season and led Seattle to a 36–46 record. Wilkens would later coach the SuperSonics to their first NBA Championship in 1979 and accumulate a total of 1,332 wins over a coaching career spanning 32 seasons. That same season, an injury limited Thorn to just 19 games with an average of 2.9 points.

In his concluding season (1970–71), Thorn appeared in 63 games off the bench for a SuperSonics squad finishing at 38–44, contributing averages of 5.6 points and 2.9 assists per game. Over eight NBA seasons and a total of 466 games played, he compiled career averages of 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists.

Coaching career

Thorn transitioned into coaching in the 1971–72 season when he joined Lenny Wilkens as an assistant coach for the Seattle SuperSonics; that year saw the team finish with a solid 47–35 record.

In 1973, former teammate Kevin Loughery appointed Thorn as assistant coach for the New York Nets in the American Basketball Association, offering a salary of $15,000. The Nets captured the 1974 ABA championship behind standout Julius Erving.

Thorn took on head coaching duties for the Spirits of St. Louis during the 1975–76 ABA season, overseeing a roster that included Hall of Famers such as Marvin Barnes, Moses Malone, and Maurice Lucas. After starting with a record of 20–27, he was dismissed in December 1975 and succeeded by Joe Mullaney.

Regarding discipline challenges with Barnes, Thorn remarked: "Marvin would consistently arrive late... He claimed he was delivering '24 and 12 every night,' but intentionally showed up late to assert control."

Thorn returned to serve as assistant coach under Loughery for the New York Nets when they joined the NBA in the 1976–77 season but departed after the following season (1977–78) to pursue opportunities within Chicago’s front office ranks.

Chicago Bulls

Thorn took on the role of general manager for the Chicago Bulls in 1978, a position he held until March 1985. During his tenure, he appointed Jerry Sloan as Head Coach, selected Reggie Theus in the draft, and oversaw the management of standout center Artis Gilmore. Thorn stepped in to replace Sloan as coach for the remainder of the 1981–82 season, finishing with a 15–15 record.

In 1983, Thorn brought in former teammate from the Nets, Kevin Loughery, to serve as head coach. He is most notably recognized for orchestrating the Bulls' decision to draft Michael Jordan with the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft, a critical choice that became the cornerstone for the franchise’s future success. Additionally, Thorn drafted track athlete Carl Lewis during the 1984 Olympic Games to generate publicity.

Despite receiving trade proposals and facing speculation about selecting Jordan’s North Carolina teammate Sam Perkins, Thorn maintained his original pick and chose Jordan. Both Thorn and Loughery were dismissed in March 1985 when new ownership under Jerry Reinsdorf brought in Jerry Krause as general manager.

NBA/Dream Team/Nets/76ers

Between 1986 and 2000, Thorn served as NBA Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, acting as the league’s principal enforcer of discipline. He chaired the selection committee for the USA Basketball Men's National Team in 1992, 1996, and 2000, playing a key role in assembling the legendary "Dream Team" along with subsequent gold-medal winning squads.

Thorn returned to the Nets organization on June 2, 2000, and was honored with the NBA Executive of the Year accolade in 2002 after guiding them to their inaugural NBA Finals appearance. He announced his exit from the Nets franchise in 2010.

On August 11, 2010, Thorn was appointed president of the Philadelphia 76ers, taking over from Ed Stefanski, who continued as general manager. In October 2011, Thorn assumed both president and GM responsibilities until Tony DiLeo took over as GM in 2012; Thorn retained his presidential duties.

On July 10, 2013, Thorn was promoted to NBA President of Basketball Operations. In April 2014, he managed disciplinary proceedings that resulted in a playoff suspension for Wizard player Nene Hilario.

Although Thorn briefly retired in 2015, he later accepted a position as Special Consultant with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Reflecting on his extensive career, Thorn remarked: “I’ve been unbelievably fortunate... When I played we got $8 in meal money... I can remember playing 16 straight days in preseason... I couldn't tell you then that the NBA would end up where it is. It's been a lot of fun.”

Personal life

While playing and coaching for the SuperSonics, Thorn earned a degree in political science from the University of Washington.

He and his wife Peggy are parents to a son named Jonathan and twin daughters Amanda and Jessica.

Former NBA commissioner David Stern commended Thorn’s distinctive background and methodology, emphasizing his impact through drafting Michael Jordan, steering the Nets to back-to-back Finals after acquiring Jason Kidd, and aiding in the playoff achievements of the 76ers.

Honors

Inducted into the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame in 1982.
Honored as a contributor in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 7, 2018.
West Virginia University retired Thorn's jersey number 44 on February 29, 2020.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Baltimore | 75 || — || 34.6 || .405 || — || .731 || 4.8 || 3.7 || — || — || 14.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Detroit | 74 || — || 23.9 || .427 || — || .724 || 3.6 || 2.2 || — || — || 11.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Detroit | 27 || — || 30.2 || .417 || — || .732 || 3.7 || 2.4 || — || — || 13.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|St. Louis | 46 || — || 20.1 || .423 || — || .690 || 2.4 || 1.8 || — || — || 8.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|St. Louis | 67 || — || 17.4 || .445 || — || .727 || 2.4 || 1.8 || — || — || 8.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Seattle | 66 || — || 25.3 || .451 || — || .737 || 4.0 || 3.5 || — || — || 15.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Seattle | 29 || — || 19.6 || .463 || — || .732 || 2.9 || 2.8 || — || — || 11.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Seattle | 19||—||5.5|| .444||—|| .625|| .8|| .9||—||—||2.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Seattle | 63||—||12.2|| .472||—|| .676||1.6||2.9||—||—||5.6 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career |466||—||22.3|| .433||—|| .723||3.1||2.6||—||—||10.8

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;" |1966 | style="text-align:left;" |St. Louis | 10||—||11.9|| .308||—|| .778||1.7||1.0||—||—||3.8 |- | style="text-align:left;" |1967 | style="text-align:left;" |St. Louis |9||—||| 17.3||| .429||| .926||| 3.1||| 1.2|||—|||—||| 10.1 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career |19||—|||14.5||| .388|||—||| .867|||2.4|||1.1|||—|||—|||6.8

External links