What's amazing is that Thornton is still learning the intricacies of the game. As much as Thornton worked on his game on that dirt court in his backyard growing up, basketball was not his first love.
"I signed him up for a recreation league when he was about 6 years old," his father said. "And the first game, he just stood there with his hands in his pockets the whole time.
"But I made him stick with it. When I was growing up, my dad wanted me to play and I didn't play, so I guess I kind of made sure he stuck with it. ... He came around to it after a little while."
It really wasn't until Thornton got into high school, hit a growth spurt and started excelling on the court that he ever considered he might play in college or the NBA. Before that, football and track were his sports, the Atlanta Falcons his favorite team. He played wide receiver, defensive back, quarterback, ran the 400 meters, and did the long jump and high jump.
"We were ecstatic when we got him," Dunleavy said.
What the team didn't know - what a team can never really know until it sees a guy up close over a number of months - is how hard Thornton was willing to work on his game.
He takes a DVD home after every game, studies it until 3 or 4 a.m., then stays late after practices watching more tape or working on moves with assistant coaches.
Veteran players such as Marcus Camby can't help but notice.
"I knew he was tough last year when I played against him," Camby said. "But seeing him this year, playing with him ... he's going to be a star. He's like a young Dominique (Wilkins)."
Ramona Shelburne, Daily News
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