76ers' Rod Thorn era officially begins

After hiring highly regarded coach Doug Collins in May, and taking guard Evan Turner with the No. 2 pick in the June NBA draft, the 76ers on Thursday added the well-respected Rod Thorn to their front office by naming him team president.

The move reunites Thorn with Ed Stefanski, who has been the Sixers president and general manager since 2007. Stefanski, who relinquished his title of president and will remain as general manager, was on the staff when Thorn began a 10-year tenure as president of the New Jersey Nets in 2000.

The two did not know each other, but the new boss took a liking to the Penn grad. Under Thorn, Stefanski spent four seasons as director of scouting and one as vice president of basketball operations before being elevated to general manager in 2004.

The Nets turned in their franchise-best seasons with consecutive Eastern Conference championships in 2002 and 2003, and they claimed four Atlantic Division titles in five years. Trading for guard Jason Kidd, dumping Stephon Marbury and Keith Van Horn, and drafting Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson were some of the Nets' key moves in that time period.

"Rod is my mentor in the NBA," said Stefanski, who left the Nets for his hometown Sixers. "Besides that, we are very close friends. We work very well together. It's tough to do both jobs. Both jobs are time-consuming, and sometimes overwhelming."

Thorn said he was pleased to have Stefanski by his side again as he spoke during a news conference in the Hall of Fame Room at the Wells Fargo Center.

"In fact, some say that when Ed left, the Nets weren't as good after that," joked Thorn, who a few years ago was talking up Stefanski to the Sixers. "I have a lot of respect for Ed, both on a professional and personal level. And I look forward to working very closely with him as we go forward. He understands me, and I think I understand him. We make a good team, and hopefully that will take effect and be something we can all be proud of here."

With a new owner having taken over the Nets after last season, Thorn said he resigned on July 16 with the idea of looking for other opportunities. His successor is Billy King, the former Sixers GM who was fired to make way for Stefanski.

In Thorn's final season with the Nets, they challenged the record for futility established by the nine-win 1972-73 Sixers. The Nets' 12-70 performance had a lot to do with Thorn dumping salaries over the last two seasons in an effort to clear space for the super 2010 free-agent class headed by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

The gamble did not pay off as the Nets were unable to attract a franchise player.

Thorn, who said he was offered a "lucrative" contract to stay with the team, heard from the Sixers the week after parting company with the Nets. It was Comcast-Spectacor chairman Ed Snider on the line. The deal was sealed on Tuesday.

"The thing that impressed me about Mr. Snider is that he wants to win," said Thorn, who has spent 46 years in professional basketball since the Baltimore Bullets selected him with the second overall pick in 1963.

"Philadelphia teams always had a passion. Philadelphia teams always played hard. The fans of Philadelphia are forgiving if you display that type of spirit. We as an organization will demand from our players, and expect, and get that effort, from our players."

That effort was not so evident last season when the underachieving Sixers staggered home with a 27-55 record in front of sparse home crowds after making the playoffs the previous two years. It led to the firing of first-year coach Eddie Jordan, who was hired by Stefanski.

Stefanski was hired in December 2007 and had some salary cap room in 2008 and used it to sign free agent Elton Brand to a five-year, $82 million contract in July.

But Brand has been injury prone and hasn't performed up to expectations. And his contract has made him virtually untradable. Stefanski also signed free agent Allen Iverson during the season, which turned into a circus and clearly was another mistake.

Thorn, who declined to speculate on personnel matters so soon after assuming control, was introduced by Comcast-Spectacor president Peter Luukko.

Also on hand was Collins, who flew in overnight from San Diego for the occasion.

"Rod and I have known each other a long time," Collins said. "Rod is from the New York City market. You think Rod will have to face anything in Philadelphia he hasn't faced over the last 10 years? This guy knows what's going on. [Thorn and Stefanski] are going to be the decision-makers. My mind is going to be on the floor. But one thing I feel very, very good about is being able to walk in the office. We're going to sit down here this afternoon and talk a little bit about the team, and the players. What I see now."