Al Thornton facts for kids
![]() Thornton with the Wizards in January 2011
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No. 1 – Peñarol Mar del Plata | |
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Small forward / Power forward | |
Personal information | |
Born | Perry, Georgia, U.S. |
December 7, 1983
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 | |
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.
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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.
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
Legend | |||||
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GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Stats
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
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2007–08 | L.A. Clippers | 79 | 31 | 27.3 | .429 | .331 | .743 | 4.5 | 1.2 | .6 | .5 | 12.7 |
2008–09 | L.A. Clippers | 71 | 67 | 37.4 | .446 | .253 | .754 | 5.2 | 1.5 | .8 | .9 | 16.8 |
2009–10 | L.A. Clippers | 51 | 30 | 27.5 | .478 | .357 | .741 | 3.8 | 1.2 | .5 | .4 | 10.7 |
2009–10 | Washington | 24 | 16 | 28.1 | .463 | .353 | .694 | 4.3 | 1.2 | .8 | .5 | 10.7 |
2010–11 | Washington | 49 | 23 | 21.8 | .471 | .160 | .757 | 3.2 | 1.0 | .6 | .2 | 8.0 |
2010–11 | Golden State | 22 | 0 | 14.3 | .490 | .000 | .829 | 2.6 | .5 | .3 | .1 | 6.0 |
Career | 296 | 167 | 28.0 | .452 | .293 | .747 | 4.2 | 1.2 | .6 | .5 | 11.9 |
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