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A Conversation With Al Thornton

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 14, 2008

TORONTO - Al Thornton nearly sacrificed his senior year at Florida State University for an early start to his professional basketball career last season. The 6-foot-8 forward remained at FSU and earned All-America honors as the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year runner-up, averaging 19.7 points and 7.2 rebounds a game.

Three months later, the Los Angeles Clippers acquired Thornton with the 14th overall selection in the 2007 NBA draft. The 24-year-old rookie sat down with the Tribune after Friday's upset victory against the Raptors.

Why did you seriously consider leaving Tallahassee after your junior year and then decide to stay?

I was thinking about coming out, and I tested the waters. Pretty much my whole coaching staff had coached in the NBA, so they were able to give me great advice. They thought it was best for me to come back, work on my game, try to work some kinks out, and I did. I think it benefited me a lot. I was a lottery pick, so it worked out well.

You worked out for a collection of teams, but not the Clippers. Were you shocked when they called your name at Madison Square Garden?

I was kind of shocked. I worked out for a number of teams, and I had a general idea where I was going, but you never know. The draft sometimes will throw you for a loop. Now I'm here; I think it's the best team for me. I'm playing a lot. I'm getting to learn and make mistakes on the court. In a rookie year, that's kind of rare. A lot of rookies don't see the court. It will benefit me in the long run.

After never having played in the NCAA Tournament, you were drafted by a franchise that has produced only one winning record in the past 15 seasons. Do you see any light at the end of the tunnel for this team?

Definitely. You've got to realize the dynamics of our team is going to change. We're missing easily one of the top 15 players in the game. Elton Brand is an All Star-caliber player, and Shaun Livingston is one of the top young guards in the league. We're struggling right now, but it's still kind of early in the season. If we can get on a run and get somewhere close to .500, those guys will be back and I think we'll be OK.

Do you think the Seminoles finally will return to the NCAA Tournament this year?

I've been following them. They've got time and they've got some work to do, but I think their chances are as good as anybody.

Has the transition from collegiate star to NBA rookie been difficult?

Having been the guy in college, it's kind of tough. But I understand I have to pay my dues. I still have to learn the system. One of the biggest differences is back-to-back games. You may have one day's rest, but in college you may have a five-day layoff. That's the biggest thing, and making adjustments for the different teams, different strategies and different plays. That's tough, and the travel, so all together it's a monster.

How's life in Los Angeles? It must be quite different than what you experienced growing up.

Oh, man, it's a big difference. The traffic is crazy. I hate the traffic, but I'm getting adjusted to it. It's a big difference, but I'm starting to enjoy it.

Playing before huge crowds in glitzy arenas like the Staples Center, does your mind ever take you back to that dirt court behind your house in Perry, Ga.?

All the time, when I'm out there playing and getting the ball down the stretch. I played with my dad so many times. He pushed me so hard out there, playing on that dirt court, going through drills with him. So out there playing now, it's pretty easy.

You hated basketball as a child. Why, and what changed your feelings about the game?

I really did; I hated the game. I was a football guy, but somehow my dad persuaded me and encouraged me to play basketball. After a couple of years, I fell in love with it, and the rest is history.

Who did you imagine yourself to be out there?

M.J. - Michael Jordan, all day. I used to love him, tried to emulate all his moves. It's kind of hard out there when you've got that funky dirt court. You dribble the ball, it goes in the woods. But I think playing on the dirt court helped bring some type of coordination to my game.

Did your Georgia roots provide extra incentive for you to fight through a stomach virus en route to a career-high 33 points against Atlanta on Jan. 30?

I think there's a saying that when you're sick, players seem to focus in more. Maybe that had something to do with it. I was just in a zone and my teammates recognized it and they kept feeding me the ball, which is a great feeling.

Were you a Hawks fan growing up?

I was a Dominique Wilkins fan. I wasn't a Hawks fan. The team was terrible.

Wearing a No. 12 jersey is important to you. Why is that?

It's very important to me. I have three older sisters that played basketball, and all of them wore the No. 12. We all went to the same high school. Basketball is kind of a tradition in my family. I look up to my sisters. I love them to death. They wore the No. 12, so I try to keep it going.

Bob Bellone

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