Read an article about what a great NBA exec he is today and every time I see an article about him they give him credit for being the man who drafted MJ. The same authors always forget about Thorns comments.

"We wish Jordan were 7-feet, but he isn't. There just wasn't a center available. What can you do? Jordan isn't going to turn this franchise around. I wouldn't ask him to. He's a very good offensive player, but not an overpowering offensive player."
-- Rod Thorn, then Bulls general manager, after selecting Jordan in the 1984 NBA Draft (Chicago Tribune, June 20, 1984)

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

1984 Jordan: You don't need to ask, Rod. I'll turn this motherfucker around without being asked. Give me the ball and tell everybody to get the fuck out of my way.

Rod Thorn:

Seems kind of unreasonable to retroactively hold Thorn's prognostication against him. Haven't read much about Jordan as a college player, but from what I have read I don't think he played like he dominated the NCAA or anything. Thorn was obviously right about Jordan being a good offensive player, but clearly the best was yet to come.

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Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

I don't know if it's DB worthy but in hindsight it is funny as hell. Thank God there wasn't another center worth drafting at 3. He shouldn't get any credit.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

I think the point is that Thorn was lucky he had the third pick instead of one of the first two.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

In 1984, there was nothing incorrect about Rod Thorn's statements there. Jordan at the time was simply a good offensive player. Not dominant. Not special or great. Just good. He became what he became because of his hard work and determination. On draft day, he wasn't that guy yet. Not even close.

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

I'll say this for Thorn, there might have been several other GMs in that 1984 draft that wouldn't have taken Jordan with the 3rd pick if they were in Thorn's shoes. So he deserves some credit. He had the pick and took him.

Nobody knew what Jordan was going to become. Not only did he go 3rd, but no other GMs wanted to trade up to get him from the Bulls.

Exactly. People are misremembering history if they think Jordan was some kind of prodigy like Magic, Kobe, or Lebron. He wasn't.

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

He averaged 28 points and 6 or 7 rebounds his rookie year. If that's not a prodigy, I'm not sure what is.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

And lotsa slightly plump latin bitches, especially in Atlanta. Lotsa 'em.

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

Jordan dominated his junior year at NC. He was that good. It was no shock he came out of NC early as he was more than ready. NC basketball at that time didn't have a style of play where 1 player could showcase their talent and jump to the NBA. He was forced to play in a system and as I watched it seemed clear it kept him from being the type of standout say Waymon Tysdale was at OU (only name I could think of in my current condition). I personally was surprised Jordan came out early. That was not the NC way. But he really was ready and Dean Smith said as much. I hadn't ever heard Smith say that about another player that wasn't a senior.

Without prejudice, this draft discussion is NOT how I remember it. Jordan was the best on the board that wasn't a center. The league valued a big man more at that time. But make no mistake, Jordan was not considered an average talent out of NC. He was considered a franchise player. Just not one that could affect the game the same way a center would. Thorn was lucky big men were still en vogue. Portland needed a big man. There brain trust scouts were telling them Jordan was the guy to draft but it wasn't a need. They had Drexler for points at that point iirc. Thorn wanted a center like everyone else and was lucky the best remaining centers sucked.

I am not asking Thorn to predict Jordans greatness. It's quite obvious by his 7 foot statement, if he had the 1 or 2 pick, he doesnt take Jordan.

So, to place "The Man Who Picked MJ" as one of his 3 great accomplishments, as if he thought he would be great is a myth at best.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Rod Thorn made his comment before Jordan had played an NBA game. That's what I'm talking about. He was not a prodigy coming out of college.

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

At that time, the big man was valued more than he is today, a big part of that due to Jordan himself. I don't remember exactly, but I'm pretty sure that at the time Jordan was viewed as the best non-big man in the draft. His draft position supports that. I don't want to quibble over the word "prodigy", but he was certainly highly regarded. Magic was something no one had really seen before- a point guard who was as big as some centers. If you're saying nobody had any idea Jordan would be "the best ever". I agree with you. Nobody thought he was "the best ever" until Scottie came and they won all the championships even though Jordan was probably at his best as an individual prior to that.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Told ya', Nas.

The guy had plenty of skins on the wall coming out of college. He started as a freshman on a STACKED UNC team. He was the guy who took the big shots on that team even with upperclassmen like Worthy and Big Smooth playing with him. He was given the game winning shot to take as a freshman in the NCAA championship game. At the end of that year he was ACC Freshman of the Year.

He was an All American as a sophomore and junior and was the player of the year in college basketball his junior year. This was not the watered down NCAA of today. Other upperclassmen that year included Hakeem, Barkley and Stockton...basically an all history of the league team all in college basketball at one time, and Jordan shone above them all. He averaged almost 18 points a game on 54% shooting in college in a Dean Smith system notorious for inhibiting the statistics of stars. He was the leader and captain of possibly the greatest Olympic team before the professional era.

This was all before he ever was drafted. Yes he was a prodigy. The only way he wouldn't be remembered as such is because of the talent level in the game at that time.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

/thread

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As an aside, what kind of monumental fuck ups were running the Blazer front office in 1984? They had five picks in one of the great drafts of all time, two being in the first round, and their best pick was the second to last one in the second round, Jerome Kersey.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Kids...

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I don't think that's necessarily fair. Bowie would undoubtedly have been a Hall of Famer if his feet hadn't kept breaking and then you wouldn't be saying that.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

The logic of the Sam Bowie pick makes sense. They already had Drexler, who at the time was more polished than Jordan and already had a year of league experience under his belt.

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

It would be interesting to go back and research what other GM's,coaches,etc. said after drafting all-time great players. I wonder what the Bears said after drafting Payton,etc.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

http://www.nbadraft.net/node/16360

Turns out Thorn was wrong on other great talents as well. He didn't think Barkley could play in the NBA...and Jordan's coaches knew he was great after the first practice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7v_6GzDO20

can't miss...in the class with Dr. J...nice pornstache David Stern

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Mr. Glass already had all of those problems in college so it was completely forseeable. He was a great talent but that was an Angelo type of pick

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

they passed on Olajuwan as well

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

No, Houston had the first pick and took Olajuwon. Portland went second.

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

He should have said, "Jordan is likely be a Thorn in the side of NBA teams for years to come", amirite?

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Or

Jordan is the Rod the Bulls will ride to the Championship.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."