season. Wilkens would lead the SuperSonics to the NBA Championship in 1979, and would coach in the NBA until 2005, winning 1332 games in 32 seasons. Injured, Thorn averaged 2.9 points in 19 games. In 1970–71, Thorn finished his playing career, playing in 63 games off the bench, averaging 5.6 points and 2.9 assists for the 38–44 SuperSonics. Overall, in eight NBA seasons, Thorn averaged 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 466 games. Coaching career In 1971–72, Thorn joined his former teammate and coach Lenny Wilkens as an assistant with the SuperSonics and the team finished 47–35. In 1973, former teammate Kevin Loughery was head coach and hired Thorn as assistant coach of the New York Nets of the American Basketball Association for $15,000. The Nets then won the 1974 ABA championship, led by Julius Erving. Thorn was hired the head coach of the Spirits of St. Louis with then-star Marvin Barnes for the 1975–76 ABA season. The Spirits' roster also included Hall of Famer Moses Malone, Caldwell Jones, Mike D'Antoni, Gus Gerard, Maurice Lucas, Ron Boone, M.L. Carr and Don Chaney But, after a 20–27 start he was fired in December, 1975 and replaced by Joe Mullaney. Thorn had discipline issues with Barnes. "Marvin would come late for everything,” Thorn said years later. "You couldn't depend on him. He'd say, 'I'm giving you 24 and 12 every night. You better talk to the others.' He'd come late on purpose to show, 'You don't control me. I'm in charge.'" Thorn returned to the New York Nets and Loughery as an assistant coach when the franchise joined the NBA in 1976–77. The team had been forced to move Erving to the Philadelphia 76ers and was playing with a depleted roster. Thorn left the position after the 1977–78 season to move to the front office in Chicago. Basketball executive career Chicago Bulls In 1978, Thorn became the general manager of the Chicago Bulls and served in that role until March 1985. Thorn hired Jerry Sloan as Head Coach, drafted Reggie Theus and had Artis Gilmore in the middle. Thorn replaced Sloan on the bench to finish the 1981–82 season (15–15). In 1984, he famously oversaw team's selection of Michael Jordan with the No. 3 pick of the 1984 NBA draft. (he also selected track star Carl Lewis, with the draft on the eve of the 1984 Olympic Games, simply for