Thorn also sat on the Nets bench as an assistant coach for two seasons watching Julius Erving in his ABA prime. He marveled not just at the special feats Dr. J performed on the court - "every night," Thorn said, but he also called Erving "the best teammate of anybody I've ever been around."
Sitting in his new Sixers office - Ed Stefanski's former office - Thorn made it clear he was here to do a job, not just have a job.
"I've been in this business for 40-some years," Thorn said. "I've seen a lot of different scenarios. I don't think I'll be fooled by much that will happen."
Thorn was well known during his decade in charge of the New Jersey Nets for not being so calm himself during games, even as team president.
"I've gotten better," Thorn said. "I'm an emotional guy. I always have been. You wear your emotions on your sleeve, up and down during games. I take losses pretty hard, I would say. But I'm better than I was 10 years ago."
But he's got stories. Like that 1984 draft. Half the teams in the league were calling the Bulls with trade offers. Coveting Jordan, the Sixers called offering Andrew Toney and the No. 5 pick for that third pick. It wasn't a terrible offer. Toney was coming off his last strong season, and that fifth pick turned out to be Charles Barkley. But Thorn said he didn't get too interested in the deal.
"In my mind, Charles wasn't big enough to do in the pros what he had done in college - which would certainly have been a mistake," Thorn said. "He could do in the pros what he did in college."
