Former Nets GM Rod Thorn to Be Named 76ers Team President

Filed under: 76ers, Nets

Former New Jersey Nets general manager Rod Thorn will be named Philadelphia 76ers team president.



Thorn confirmed a Yahoo! Sports report to FanHouse on Wednesday evening, making it even more clear that his curious departure from the Nets in late June had nothing to do with any desire to stop working. A formal announcement of Thorn's next challenge is expected later this week.



Thorn said former Philadephia team president Ed Stefanski will stay on board in a general manager role, duplicating the dynamic the two friends had for six seasons in New Jersey.



"I am," Thorn texted via cell phone when asked if he was excited to work with Stefanski again. "I have a lot of respect for him."



Thorn had been with the Nets since 2000, after spending 14 seasons as the NBA's Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations. He was named the 2002 NBA Executive of the Year and oversaw back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003. Thorn also had a seven-year stint as GM of the Chicago Bulls, beginning in 1978.



The reason's for Thorn's departure from the Nets remain unclear, but he insisted at the time that he was not asked to take a pay cut and that he had no issues with new Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov. He'll take command of a 76ers team that fell short of expectations in 2009-10, stumbling to a 27-55 mark after playoff appearances in the prior two seasons.



E-mail Sam at amick.sam@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @samickFanHouse.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Full story at http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/08/11/rod-thorn-back-at-work-with-philadelphia/