Otis Henry Thorpe (born August 5, 1962) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player who played for several teams in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...

(NBA). He was an

NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment building in Amsterdam after two of its engines ...

and won an NBA championship with the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Divisio ...

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson Ma ...

Early years

Thorpe graduated in 1980 from Lake Worth Community High School in Florida. He played college ball at

Providence College Providence College is a private Catholic university in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1917 by the Dominican Order and the local diocese, it offers 47 undergraduate majors and 17 graduate programs. It requires all of its undergradua ...

. He had the longest NBA career of any former Friars player. He ranks seventh all-time at the school in rebounds and was the school's first First-Team Big East player. During his tenure at Providence College he was also a two-time Honorable Mention All-America selection.

NBA career

Kansas City/Sacramento Kings

Thorpe was drafted by the Kansas City Kings as the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 1984 NBA draft. In 1985, the Kings relocated to Sacramento. During the 1987-88 NBA season, Thorpe averaged career-highs of 20.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. That year, in perhaps his best game of the season, Thorpe nearly missed a triple-double with 35 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists. Thorpe was traded to the

for Rodney McCray and Jim Petersen in 1989.

Houston Rockets

While with the Rockets, Thorpe made an All-Star appearance in 1992. Thorpe played in 542 consecutive games between 1986 and 1992 and, at one time, held the longest streak of consecutive games played in the NBA. On December 7, 1993, Thorpe scored a career-high 40 points in a win over the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

. That season, Thorpe was an integral part of the Houston Rockets' trip to the 1994 NBA Finals and subsequent first NBA Championship. Halfway through the next season, the Rockets realized that they were struggling and needed a change. The team sent Thorpe to the Portland Trail Blazers in a deal for Clyde Drexler and Tracy Murray. He holds the Rockets' all-time record for the highest field goal accuracy (55.9%).

Portland Trail Blazers

Thorpe would only play 34 games for the Blazers before moving on to occupy the starting front court for the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...

(who acquired him in a package for Randolph Childress and

Bill Curley William Michael Curley (born May 29, 1972) is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the Emerson Lions men's basketball team. Curley has two brothers and one sister, with both brothers, Matty and Mic ...

) for the next two years.

Vancouver Grizzlies

Before the start of the 1997–98 season, the Pistons dealt Thorpe to the Vancouver Grizzlies for a conditional first-round draft pick which eventually conveyed to the Pistons as the second pick in the 2003 draft, Darko Miličić. Thorpe would play 47 games with the Grizzlies before returning to the Kings in a trade that sent

Bobby Hurley Robert Matthew Hurley (born June 28, 1971) is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils. He was previously the head coach at the University at Buffalo. As a college ...

and Michael Smith to Vancouver. ( Chris Robinson was also traded to the Kings as part of the deal.)

Bouncing around the league and career endings

In the offseason, he was traded (along with Mitch Richmond) to the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

for Chris Webber. He signed with the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...

in 1999 and was traded to the

, along with Rodney Buford, P.J. Brown, Jamal Mashburn, and Tim James in a deal for Anthony Mason, Ricky Davis, Dale Ellis, and

Eddie Jones Edward, Eddie, or Ed Jones may refer to: Architecture * Edward Vason Jones (1909–1980), American neoclassical architect * Edward Jones (English architect) (born 1939), English architect who designed the Saïd Business School * Edward Jones (Wel ...

. When Thorpe finished his last game in 2001, he was the last remaining member of the Kansas City Kings to retire. Thorpe holds career averages of 14.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He finished his career with over 17,000 points and 10,000 rebounds in the NBA.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

, 82 , , 23 , , 23.4 , , .600 , , .000 , , .620 , , 6.8 , , 1.4 , , .4 , , .5 , , 12.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 75 , , 18 , , 22.3 , , .587 , , - , , .661 , , 5.6 , , 1.1 , , .5 , , .5 , , 9.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 82 , , 82 , , 36.0 , , .540 , , .000 , , .761 , , 10.0 , , 2.5 , , .6 , , .7 , , 18.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 82 , , 82 , , 37.5 , , .507 , , .000 , , .755 , , 10.2 , , 3.2 , , .8 , , .7 , , 20.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Houston Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...

, 82 , , 82 , , 38.2 , , .542 , , .000 , , .729 , , 9.6 , , 2.5 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 16.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 82 , , 35.9 , , .548 , , .000 , , .688 , , 9.0 , , 3.2 , , .8 , , .3 , , 17.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 82 , , 37.1 , , .556 , , .429 , , .696 , , 10.3 , , 2.4 , , .9 , , .2 , , 17.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 82 , , 37.3 , , .592 , , .000 , , .657 , , 10.5 , , 3.0 , , .6 , , .5 , , 17.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 72 , , 69 , , 32.7 , , .558 , , .000 , , .598 , , 8.2 , , 2.5 , , .6 , , .3 , , 12.8 , - , style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="AFE6BA", † , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 82 , , 35.5 , , .561 , , .000 , , .657 , , 10.6 , , 2.3 , , .8 , , .3 , , 14.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 36 , , 35 , , 33.0 , , .563 , , .000 , , .528 , , 8.9 , , 1.6 , , .6 , , .4 , , 13.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, 34 , , 0 , , 26.7 , , .568 , , .000 , , .649 , , 6.9 , , 1.6 , , .6 , , .4 , , 13.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

, 82 , , 82 , , 34.6 , , .530 , , .000 , , .710 , , 8.4 , , 1.9 , , .6 , , .5 , , 14.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 79 , , 79 , , 33.7 , , .532 , , .000 , , .653 , , 7.9 , , 1.7 , , .7 , , .2 , , 13.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...

, 47 , , 46 , , 33.5 , , .477 , , .000 , , .694 , , 7.9 , , 3.4 , , .6 , , .5 , , 11.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 27 , , 20 , , 23.1 , , .459 , , .000 , , .657 , , 6.1 , , 2.3 , , .7 , , .3 , , 8.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Washington , 49 , , 38 , , 31.4 , , .545 , , .000 , , .698 , , 6.8 , , 2.1 , , .9 , , .4 , , 11.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...

, 51 , , 1 , , 15.2 , , .514 , , .000 , , .604 , , 3.3 , , .6 , , .5 , , .2 , , 5.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

, 49 , , 4 , , 13.2 , , .450 , , - , , .833 , , 3.0 , , .6 , , .2 , , .1 , , 2.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 1,257 , , 989 , , 31.7 , , .546 , , .047 , , .687 , , 8.2 , , 2.2 , , .7 , , .4 , , 14.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, All-Star , 1 , , 0 , , 4.0 , , 1.000 , , - , , - , , - , , - , , - , , - , , 2.0

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1986 , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 3 , , 0 , , 11.7 , , .231 , , - , , .462 , , 4.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .3 , , 4.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker ru ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 4 , , 38.0 , , .649 , , - , , .762 , , 5.0 , , 3.0 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 16.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1990 , style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 4 , , 41.0 , , .600 , , - , , .684 , , 8.3 , , 1.8 , , 1.3 , , .0 , , 20.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3 , , 3 , , 38.7 , , .579 , , - , , .500 , , 8.3 , , 2.7 , , .7 , , .0 , , 15.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 12 , , 12 , , 34.9 , , .635 , , - , , .651 , , 8.6 , , 2.6 , , .5 , , .1 , , 14.5 , - , style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="AFE6BA",

† , style="text-align:left;",

, 23 , , 23 , , 37.1 , , .572 , , .500 , , .567 , , 9.9 , , 2.3 , , .6 , , .4 , , 11.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake strike ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3 , , 0 , , 22.0 , , .571 , , - , , .700 , , 4.3 , , .7 , , .0 , , .0 , , 10.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone on b ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3 , , 3 , , 33.7 , , .542 , , - , , .750 , , 11.7 , , 2.3 , , .0 , , .0 , , 11.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5 , , 30.4 , , .512 , , - , , .778 , , 6.4 , , .8 , , .4 , , .0 , , 9.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 0 , , 13.6 , , .481 , , .000 , , .500 , , 2.9 , , .3 , , .0 , , .2 , , 3.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanistan ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 8 , , 0 , , 7.1 , , .222 , , - , , - , , 2.1 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .5 , -class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 78 , , 54 , , 28.9 , , .569 , , .333 , , .631 , , 7.0 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , .2 , , 10.1

References

External links

Providence Friars bio

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorpe, Otis 1962 births Living people 21st-century African-American people African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in Canada American men's basketball players Basketball players from Florida Centers (basketball) Charlotte Hornets players Detroit Pistons players Houston Rockets players Kansas City Kings draft picks Kansas City Kings players Miami Heat players National Basketball Association All-Stars Portland Trail Blazers players Power forwards (basketball) Providence Friars men's basketball players Sacramento Kings players Sportspeople from Boynton Beach, Florida Vancouver Grizzlies players 20th-century African-American sportspeople

Early years

NBA career

Kansas City/Sacramento Kings

Houston Rockets

Portland Trail Blazers

Vancouver Grizzlies

Bouncing around the league and career endings

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

See also

References

External links