Al Thornton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Al Thornton

Thornton with the Wizards in January 2011
No. 1 – Peñarol Mar del Plata
Small forward / Power forward
Personal information
Born	(1983-12-07) December 7, 1983 (age 41) Perry, Georgia, U.S.
High school	Perry (Perry, Georgia)
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
College	Florida State (2003–2007)
NBA Draft	2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14th overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Clippers
Pro career	2007–present
League	LNB
Career history
2007–2010	Los Angeles Clippers
2010–2011	Washington Wizards
2011	Golden State Warriors
2012	Brujos de Guayama
2012	Zhejiang Lions
2014	Brujos de Guayama
2015–2016	NLEX Road Warriors
2017	Gaiteros del Zulia
2017	Brujos de Guayama
2018	Shimane Susanoo Magic
2019–2020	Suwon KT Sonicboom
2020–2021	Club Atlético Aguada
2021–2022	Peñarol Mar del Plata
2022	Trotamundos B.B.C.
2022–2023	Peñarol Mar del Plata
2023	Club Atlético Olimpia
2023–present	Peñarol Mar del Plata
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Rookie First Team (2008) BSN All-Star (2012) BSN First Team (2012) BSN Import Player of the Year (2012) 2× BSN scoring champion (2012, 2014) Venezuela LPB Scoring Leader (2017) Third-team All-American – AP (2007) First-team All-ACC (2007) Second-team All-ACC (2006)

Willie Alford Thornton (born December 7, 1983) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for Peñarol Mar del Plata in Argentina. Al Thornton also played for famous teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and Washington Wizards in the NBA. Before becoming a pro, he played college basketball at Florida State University.

College Basketball Journey

Al Thornton had a great four-year career playing basketball for Florida State University. In his final year, he was chosen as an All-American player. This means he was one of the best college players in the country.

He was also picked for the First-Team All-ACC, which is a big honor in his college conference. He was almost named the ACC Player of the Year. Al was the top scorer in the ACC that season. He also grabbed more than 7 rebounds per game. Even with his amazing play, his team did not make it to the main NCAA tournament. They played in the NIT tournament instead.

Professional Basketball Career

Playing for the Los Angeles Clippers

On June 28, 2007, Al Thornton was chosen by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2007 NBA draft. He was the 14th player picked overall.

He quickly showed his skills. In his first summer league game, he scored 24 points. During a preseason game, he led the Clippers to a win with 24 points.

At the start of his first season, Al did not play much. But when other players got hurt, he got more chances. He played as a power forward and small forward.

Thornton with the Clippers in March 2009.

On January 30, 2008, Al scored 33 points against the Atlanta Hawks. This was his highest score in a game at that time. He also got his first double-double on February 9. A double-double means getting double-digit numbers in two stats, like points and rebounds.

On March 29, 2008, Al scored 39 points against the Memphis Grizzlies. This was a record for a rookie on the Clippers. He scored 20 of those points in the last part of the game.

Because of his great first year, Al Thornton was named to the 2008 NBA All-Rookie First Team. This means he was one of the best new players in the NBA.

Time with the Washington Wizards

On February 17, 2010, Al Thornton was traded to the Washington Wizards. This was part of a big trade involving three teams and six players.

Joining the Golden State Warriors

Al Thornton later signed with the Golden State Warriors on March 3, 2011. On March 14, 2011, he scored 23 points in a game against the Sacramento Kings. This was his highest score while playing for the Warriors.

Playing in Puerto Rico

In February 2012, Al Thornton signed with the Guayama Wizards in Puerto Rico. He scored about 18.7 points per game there. He returned to the Guayama Wizards in March 2014.

Playing in China

In September 2012, Al Thornton played for the Zhejiang Lions in China. He had to leave the team during the season because of an injury.

Adventures in the Philippines

On January 2, 2015, Al Thornton joined the NLEX Road Warriors in the Philippines. In his first game, he scored 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. He later scored 39 points and 13 rebounds in another game.

He had an amazing game where he scored 50 points against Barangay Ginebra. His team then won five games in a row to make it to the playoffs.

In January 2016, Al came back to play for NLEX again. He started the season by scoring 50 points in an overtime win. In a very long game that went into triple overtime, he scored 69 points! This was the most points he ever scored in his career. It was also the most points scored by any player in the Philippine league in over 20 years.

Al Thornton also played for the Mighty Sports PH team from the Philippines. He helped them win the gold medal in the 2016 William Jones Cup tournament. He scored 24 points against South Korea and 30 points against India. He also had 24 points and 10 rebounds against Iran. The team won all 8 of their games in the tournament.

Playing in Japan

On February 28, 2018, Al Thornton signed with the Shimane Susanoo Magic team in Japan.

The BIG3 League

Al Thornton joined the BIG3 league, which is a professional 3-on-3 basketball league. He was picked by Allen Iverson's team, 3's Company. He became the league's first "4th Man," which means he was a key player who came off the bench to score.

Playing in Uruguay

On August 7, 2020, Al Thornton signed with Club Atlético Aguada in Uruguay.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season Stats

About Al Thornton

Al Thornton is the son of Alford and Philomenia Thornton. He also has a cousin, Marcus Thornton, who is also a professional basketball player.

See also

In Spanish: Al Thornton para niños