Rod Thorn
Basketball · Hometown: Princeton, WV
- High school
- Princeton High School
Rod Thorn was such a celebrated basketball prospect from Princeton, West Virginia, that in 1959 the West Virginia state legislature passed a resolution declaring him a state "natural resource" — urging him to attend WVU. He did, and went on to be selected 2nd overall in the 1963 NBA Draft by the Baltimore Bullets. Thorn played 9 NBA seasons with the Bullets, Detroit Pistons, Seattle SuperSonics, New York Knicks, and St. Louis Hawks, averaging 10.8 points per game. But his legacy is even greater as a basketball executive: as GM of the Chicago Bulls, he drafted Michael Jordan in 1984. He later served as President of Basketball Operations for the New Jersey Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers. Attended Princeton High School in Princeton, West Virginia.