Otis Thorpe facts for kids
Thorpe, circa 1986
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 5, 1962 Boynton Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| High school | Lake Worth Community (Lake Worth, Florida) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 248 lb (112 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Providence (1980–1984) |
| NBA Draft | 1984 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall |
| Selected by the Kansas City Kings | |
| Pro career | 1984–2001 |
| Career history | |
| 1984–1988 | Kansas City / Sacramento Kings |
| 1988–1995 | Houston Rockets |
| 1995 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1995–1997 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1997–1998 | Vancouver Grizzlies |
| 1998 | Sacramento Kings |
| 1998–1999 | Washington Wizards |
| 1999–2000 | Miami Heat |
| 2000–2001 | Charlotte Hornets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Points | 17,600 (14.0 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 10,370 (8.2 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,730 (2.2 apg) |
Otis Henry Thorpe, born on August 5, 1962, is a former American professional basketball player. He played for many teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was chosen as an NBA All-Star in 1992. Otis also won an NBA championship with the Houston Rockets in 1994.
Contents
Early Life and College Basketball
Otis Thorpe finished high school in 1980 at Lake Worth Community High School in Florida. He then went on to play college basketball at Providence College.
College Achievements
Otis had the longest NBA career of any player from Providence College. He is ranked seventh in rebounds for his college team. He was also the first player from his school to be named First-Team Big East. During his time at Providence, he was also recognized twice as an Honorable Mention All-America player.
NBA Career Highlights
Otis Thorpe had a long and successful career in the NBA, playing for several teams.
Starting with the Kings
The Kansas City Kings picked Otis Thorpe as the ninth player in the first round of the 1984 NBA draft. In 1985, the team moved and became the Sacramento Kings. During the 1987-88 NBA season, Thorpe had some of his best numbers. He averaged 20.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. In one game that season, he almost achieved a triple-double with 35 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists. In October 1988, Thorpe was traded to the Houston Rockets.
Becoming a Champion with the Houston Rockets
While playing for the Rockets, Otis Thorpe was selected to be an All-Star in 1992. He played in 542 games in a row between 1986 and 1992. At one point, he had the longest streak of consecutive games played in the NBA.
On December 7, 1993, Thorpe scored a career-high 40 points in a game against the Charlotte Hornets. That season, Thorpe was a very important part of the Houston Rockets team. They went on to win their first NBA Championship in the 1994 NBA Finals.
Partway through the next season, the Rockets decided they needed to make a change. They traded Thorpe to the Portland Trail Blazers in a deal to get Clyde Drexler. Thorpe still holds the Rockets' team record for the highest field goal accuracy, meaning he made a very high percentage of his shots.
Moving to Other Teams
Otis Thorpe played only 34 games for the Blazers. After that, he moved to the Detroit Pistons, where he was a starting player for two years. Before the 1997–98 season, the Pistons traded Thorpe to the Vancouver Grizzlies. He played 47 games with the Grizzlies before returning to the Kings in another trade.
Finishing His Career
After his second time with the Kings, he was traded to the Washington Wizards. He later signed with the Miami Heat in 1999. Then, he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets in a big deal involving several players. When Thorpe played his last game in 2001, he was the last player from the original Kansas City Kings team to retire from the NBA.
Otis Thorpe finished his NBA career with impressive numbers. He averaged 14.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Overall, he scored more than 17,000 points and grabbed over 10,000 rebounds in the NBA.
See also
In Spanish: Otis Thorpe para niños
- List of NBA career games played leaders
- List of NBA career rebounding leaders
- List of NBA career field goal percentage leaders
