‘Nobody represents SC like I do’: Thornwell’s love for Gamecocks shows in NBA career
Sindarius Thornwell has a message for the South Carolina basketball team: Keep working.
The Gamecock great can sympathize with this year’s team, which has gone through its share of growing pains. South Carolina is 7-4 in Southeastern Conference play but has disappointing nonconference losses to Wyoming, Wofford and Oklahoma State.
“Keep working, stay consistent. Don’t get caught up with the wins and losses. Keep working because it is going to pay off. I say that with full confidence because it did for me,” Thornwell said. “They only have two seniors and one junior. Hard team to win with that. We didn’t win right away. We had rough growing pains. We took our beatings and when we got older we gave out beatings. We got revenge.”
That revenge included a trip to the 2017 NCAA Four for the Gamecocks in which Thornwell was the centerpiece and SEC Player of the Year. He was taken in second round of the NBA Draft and is in the second season in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Thornwell remains good friends with Chris Silva, Hassani Gravett and Maik Kotsar, who were teammates with him on the Final Four team. He remains in touch with coach Frank Martin and the two exchanged text messages earlier this month before the Clippers game against the Charlotte Hornets.
“He sent me inspirational text because he knew I had been a little frustrated,” said Thornwell, who has seen decreased playing time this year.
Thornwell doesn’t know USC’s freshmen, which includes A.J. Lawson and Keyshawn Bryant, but says Lawson was in a similar situation to his during his freshman season in 2013-14. Thornwell that season started all 34 games, was a two-time SEC Freshman of Week selection and averaged 13.4 points, 4.1 rebounds 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals. The Gamecocks went 14-20.
As a freshman, Lawson has started all 24 games for South Carolina, is in second in scoring (13.5) and leads the team in assists (2.7).
“I was A.J. Lawson, doing everything I could to help a team and provide as much scoring, guard the best player. The wins didn’t add up,” Thornwell said. “But he and the other freshmen need to keep working and stay together.”
Despite his busy NBA schedule, Thornwell remains invested in the program and staunch advocate for in-state players to choose the Gamecocks. Last year when Gray Collegiate forward Juwan Gary was deciding on a college, Thornwell gave him some advice.
It didn’t work because Gary picked Alabama, but that won’t stop him from promoting USC basketball.
“I put a lot into the program and when you put a lot into the program, you care about it,” Thornwell said. “I did a lot of things that others guys didn’t do, and that was take a chance on South Carolina. All top guys with me left and went somewhere else. I’m one of the guys who took a chance on the state of South Carolina, where the love is real. Don’t go anywhere else. Why not create it where you will be loved and appreciated forever?
“When I went to South Carolina, they felt me. I came up in the same neighborhood, same streets. I carry the torch with a crown on my head because everyone that is hooping looks at me, watching my highlights. And nobody represents South Carolina like I do.”
