Men's Basketball: Thorn Joins 76ers
August 12, 2010 08:46 PM | General
August 12, 2010
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| Rod Thorn |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - It didn't take former Mountaineer All-American Rod Thorn to find another job. Less than a month after he decided to end his 10-year tenure with the New Jersey Nets, Thorn was named the new president of the Philadelphia 76ers, the team announced today.
"There was a lot of speculation that I retired," Thorn said. "I didn't retire. I retired from the Nets, but I was never retired. I expected to be back in basketball. I had several opportunities, but this was the one that I felt that I can come in and make some sort of difference."
Thorn led New Jersey to a pair of Eastern Conference titles in 2002 and 2003 and was five-time Atlantic Division champions. In 2002 Thorn was named NBA Executive of the Year.
Prior to joining the Nets, Thorn worked 14 years in the NBA office in Manhattan, where he was the Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations. During his tenure with the NBA office, he oversaw on-court operations.
Thorn is most famous for drafting Michael Jordan during his seven seasons as general manager of the Chicago Bulls; Thorn also coached the Bulls for 32 games during the 1982 season.
The Princeton, W.Va., native was the second overall player taken in the 1963 NBA draft after a stellar three-year career at WVU, leading the Mountaineers to NCAA tournament appearances in 1962 and 1963.
Thorn played eight NBA seasons with four different teams, wrapping ups his pro career with the Seattle Supersonics in 1971.
Former Philadelphia president Ed Stanfaski will continue in his role as general manager.
"When you look at the history of the franchise, it's been a terrific one," said Thorn. "Some of the best players in the history of the league have come through here."
