How LeBron James helped shape Sindarius Thornwell's rookie season in the NBA
Sindarius Thornwell always dreamed of sharing a basketball court with LeBron James. Perhaps one was setting the other up for an alley-oop or Thornwell was knocking down a corner-3 after a James drive and dish.
But on Nov. 17, 2017 – just 14 games into his NBA career – Thornwell heard something that those dreams never featured.
“You’re guarding LeBron tonight.”
Quick, someone find the rookie a toilet.
“I got chills,” Thornwell said. “I had to run to the restroom.”
The former South Carolina star spoke earlier this month about that exchange outside the gym at Gray Collegiate Academy in West Columbia. It was proof he survived to tell the story of the moment that sparked his first season in the NBA.
Thornwell appeared in 73 games for the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 3.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists.
The Clippers lost to James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime in mid-November, but here’s what L.A. coach Doc Rivers said afterward: “He did a good job in the first half. LeBron really got loose in the second half when Sindarius wasn’t on him.”
It might have started with a sprint to the restroom, but the experience led to Thornwell flushing away any nerves. He was a pro now.
“It helped my confidence,” Thornwell said. “It showed that I’m able to play at this level because that’s one of the best ever.”
Thornwell is well into his first offseason as an NBA player. The Clippers missed the Western Conference playoffs by five games, meaning things wrapped nearly two months before James took a team to the Finals for an eighth consecutive year.
Thornwell, as you might have seen in his Twitter wars with Frank Martin, gives James an edge over Michael Jordan in the GOAT debate. When Thornwell sees the King again next season, he’s hoping to present even more of a challenge.
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound guard said his summer missions include getting stronger and improving his 3-point shot (37 percent last year).
“It’s all about confidence,” Thornwell said. “Confidence is key. It’s a long season. You really can’t get caught up in playing and not playing. You got to somehow find a way to keep your confidence because when the opportunity comes, the only thing that’s going to get you through is your confidence.”
Thornwell started 16 games as a rookie, including March 9 against Cleveland when he scored 14 points in 37 minutes, both career highs at the time. There were 21 games, however, when he logged fewer than 10 minutes.
“I just want to get in and be a key guy, a guy that we rely on, a guy that can contribute,” Thornwell said of Year 2 goals. “I want to be a guy that’s in the rotation all season – not in and out – and that the team counts on.”
This story was originally published June 18, 2018 at 8:55 AM with the headline "How LeBron James helped shape Sindarius Thornwell's rookie season in the NBA."