Thorn is best known for selecting Michael Jordan 3rd overall in the '84 NBA DraftNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
Longtime NBA exec ROD THORN is part of the '18 Basketball HOF class, according to sources cited by Adrian Wojnarowksi of ESPN.com. Thorn worked for years on both the team and league level, and "will be inducted into the Hall as a contributor to the game." Others slated for induction include MAURICE CHEEKS, GRANT HILL, JASON KIDD, STEVE NASH and TINA THOMPSON (ESPN.com, 3/29). Former college coach LEFTY DRIESELL also has been elected. A formal announcement of all the inductees "will be this weekend at the Final Four" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/29). In West Virginia, Allan Taylor noted Thorn was the No. 2 pick in the '63 NBA Draft but "remains better known" for drafting MICHAEL JORDAN in '84 while Bulls GM. He later spent 14 years as NBA Exec VP/Basketball Operations, often "doling out tough disciplinary measures even while his people skills helped maintain congenial relationships with teams." Thorn left the league office in '00 to join the Nets and in '01 "engineered a trade for Kidd that resulted in the franchise making its first two appearances" in the NBA Finals (WVMETRONEWS.com, 3/29).
