Rod Thorn, the NBA's Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations, has been in professional basketball for three decades as a player, assistant coach, head coach, general manager and league official.

Thorn, who joined the league office in February 1986, is the NBA executive in charge of all on-court operations of the sport, including scheduling, officiating, game conduct and discipline. He also serves as the chair of the Senior Men's Basketball Committee for USA Basketball, which is responsible for selecting players for the Olympics and the World Championship of Basketball.

Thorn was an All-American guard at West Virginia, following such Mountaineer stars as Jerry West and Hot Rod Hundley. He was selected second overall in the 1963 NBA Draft by the Baltimore Bullets and later went on to play for Detroit, St. Louis and Seattle, averaging 10.8 points per game in eight NBA seasons.

Following his playing career, Thorn became an assistant to Seattle coach Lenny Wilkens in 1971. He joined ex-teammate Kevin Loughery in 1973 as an assistant coach of the ABA's New York Nets and helped lead the Nets to the 1973-74 ABA Championship. Two years later, Thorn became head coach of the ABA's Spirits of St. Louis.

Thorn rejoined Loughery in 1976 for two seasons as an assistant coach with the Nets in the NBA, before serving as General Manager for the Chicago Bulls from 1978 through 1984, as well as coach for 30 games in 1982.

Thorn resides in Rye, N.Y., with his wife, Peggy, son, Jonathan, and twin daughters, Amanda and Jessica.