JT Thor

JT Thor
No. 15 – Cleveland Cavaliers
PositionPower forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2002-08-26) August 26, 2002 (age 22)
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
NationalityAmerican / South Sudanese
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight203 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeAuburn (2020–2021)
NBA draft2021: 2nd round, 37th overall pick
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2024Charlotte Hornets
2021–2022→Greensboro Swarm
2024–presentCleveland Cavaliers
2024–present→Cleveland Charge
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Jokhow Panom "JT" Thor (born August 26, 2002) is a South Sudanese-American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Auburn Tigers and was selected with the 37th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

Early life

Thor was born in Omaha, Nebraska to South Sudanese parents and moved to Anchorage, Alaska at age five.[1] He started playing basketball in seventh grade and competed for West Anchorage High School.[2] At age 14, Thor moved to West Virginia, where his brother lived, to attend Huntington Prep School.[3] After two seasons, he transferred to Norcross High School in Norcross, Georgia.[4] He reclassified to the 2020 class.[5] As a senior, Thor averaged 14.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, receiving all-state honors.[6] He was a consensus four-star recruit and committed to playing college basketball for Auburn, choosing the Tigers over Oklahoma State.[7]

College career

On February 13, 2021, Thor recorded a freshman season-high 24 points and nine rebounds, shooting 5-of-6 from three-point range, in an 82–80 loss to Kentucky.[8] As a freshman at Auburn, he averaged 9.4 points, five rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.[9] On March 23, 2021, Thor declared for the 2021 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility.[10] He later signed with an agent, forgoing his remaining eligibility.[11]

Professional career

Charlotte Hornets (2021–2024)

Thor was selected 37th overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2021 NBA draft. On August 6, he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets with Mason Plumlee for the 57th overall pick.[12][13] The Hornets officially signed Thor on August 6, 2021.[14] On October 26 and November 2, he was assigned to the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League.[15] In his G League debut, Thor posted 34 points off of 14-of-22 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 128–117 loss to the Birmingham Squadron.[16] The Hornets released Thor on June 28, 2024, along with guard Seth Curry.[17]

Cleveland Cavaliers (2024–present)

On September 9, 2024, Thor signed a two-way contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.[18]

Career statistics

Legend
  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

NBA

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021–22 Charlotte 33 0 7.9 .436 .259 .600 1.3 .6 .2 .3 2.0
2022–23 Charlotte 69 8 14.0 .399 .317 .702 2.2 .5 .3 .3 3.8
2023–24 Charlotte 63 3 12.4 .437 .346 .550 2.3 .5 .2 .4 3.2
Career 165 11 12.2 .418 .320 .644 2.1 .5 .2 .4 3.2

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020–21 Auburn 27 27 23.0 .440 .297 .741 5.0 .9 .8 1.4 9.4

Personal life

Thor's older cousin, Jal Rial, played basketball for Phoenix College and Howard College. He has four brothers and three sisters.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Hall, Erik (January 15, 2021). "JT Thor: 5 things to know about the Auburn Tigers men's basketball forward". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  2. ^ "Hoops standout Thor named Alaska Athlete of the Week". Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. December 7, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  3. ^ Clemente, Christian (April 1, 2021). "JT the Jokester: How JT Thor left home at 14 to pursue NBA dream". Rivals. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  4. ^ Vitale, Josh (February 13, 2021). "Auburn basketball: JT Thor didn't eat lamb, but he did show 'next-level stuff' vs Kentucky". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  5. ^ Fisher, Chris (August 5, 2019). "Five-star forward JT Thor reclassifies to 2020". 247Sports. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  6. ^ Green, Tom (May 11, 2020). "4-star forward JT Thor officially signs with Auburn". AL.com. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  7. ^ Lancaster, Zach (April 12, 2020). "JT Thor Commits to Auburn, One Spot Remaining for Boynton and Co". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  8. ^ Green, Tom (February 14, 2021). "JT Thor shows 'next-level' ability against Kentucky". AL.com. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  9. ^ Polacheck, Jacob (March 23, 2021). "Auburn's J.T. Thor to test NBA Draft waters". Zagsblog. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  10. ^ "Auburn freshman JT Thor announces NBA Draft plans". Saturday Down South. March 23, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  11. ^ King, Nathan (June 5, 2021). "JT Thor signs with agency, won't return to Auburn". 247Sports. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  12. ^ DeLong, Jonathan (July 29, 2021). "Hornets select JT Thor with the 37th overall pick". AtTheHive.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  13. ^ "Charlotte Hornets Acquire Mason Plumlee and the Draft Rights to JT Thor". NBA.com. August 6, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  14. ^ "Charlotte Hornets Sign Second-Round Selection JT Thor". NBA.com. August 6, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  15. ^ "Hornets Assign Vernon Carey Jr. and JT Thor to Greensboro Swarm". OurSportsCentral.com. November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  16. ^ Blackerby, Zac (November 6, 2021). "Former Auburn Tiger JT Thor has strong night in NBA G League debut". Auburn Wire. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  17. ^ Boone, Roderick (July 1, 2024). "Charlotte Hornets cut two players one day after NBA Draft as roster reconstruction begins". The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  18. ^ "Cavaliers Sign JT Thor to Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.