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 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. He also won an NBA championship with the Houston Rockets in 1994.
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Early Life and College Basketball
Otis Thorpe finished high school in 1980 at Lake Worth Community High School in Florida. He then played college basketball at Providence College. He had the longest NBA career of any player from Providence College. He is ranked seventh in rebounds for the school. He was also the first player from his school to be named First-Team All-Big East.
Otis Thorpe's NBA Journey
Starting with the Kings
The Kansas City Kings picked Otis Thorpe as the ninth player in the 1984 NBA draft. In 1985, the team moved and became the Sacramento Kings. During the 1987-88 NBA season, Thorpe played his best, averaging 20.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. He was later traded to the Houston Rockets in October 1988.
Becoming a Houston Rocket
While playing for the Rockets, Thorpe became an All-Star in 1992. He played in 542 games in a row between 1986 and 1992. This was once 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 1994.
Halfway through the next season, the Rockets traded Thorpe to the Portland Trail Blazers. This trade brought Clyde Drexler to the Rockets. Thorpe still holds the Rockets' record for the highest field goal accuracy, making 55.9% of his shots.
Moving Around the League
Thorpe played only 34 games for the Blazers. After that, he moved to the Detroit Pistons for the next two years. He was traded to the Vancouver Grizzlies before the 1997–98 season.
Thorpe played 47 games with the Grizzlies. Then, he returned to the Kings in a trade. Later, he was traded to the Washington Wizards. He also played for the Miami Heat in 1999. His last trade was to the Charlotte Hornets.
When Thorpe played his final game in 2001, he was the last player from the original Kansas City Kings team to retire. He finished his career with over 17,000 points and 10,000 rebounds in the NBA. He averaged 14.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game throughout his career.
See also
- List of NBA career games played leaders
- List of NBA career rebounding leaders
- List of NBA career turnovers leaders
- List of NBA career personal fouls leaders
- List of NBA career field goal percentage leaders
- List of NBA career minutes played leaders
