Born in Baltimore on July 30, 1977, the player spent the last three seasons in Turkey with Efes Pilsen, to whom he was linked by a very generous contract. The player satisfactorily dissolved the agreement with the Turkish club, thus creating the circumstances where he could reach an agreement with Mens Sana Basket.
Bootsy’s first words were, “I’m very linked to the club and the city. My hope has always been to return to Siena.”
Bootsy Thornton began playing basketball at Dunbar High School in Florida before proceeding to Tallahassee Junior College at age 19. He’s chosen by the prestigious St. John’s University in 1998, winning the 1999/2000 Big East Conference title and earning the title of tournament MVP. After being chosen by some minor U.S. leagues (Cba, Usbl, Ibl) in the 2000 Draft, Bootsy Thornton chooses Europe and goes to Pallacanestro Cantù in January 2001. He spends two and half very impressive seasons in Brianza, which earn him his first call from Montepaschi Siena in 2003. The Bootsy-Mens Sana Basket match-up is immediately a success. Thanks also to his performance, they win an Italian title (2003/2004) a SuperCup (2004/2005), and qualify for a Euroleague F4 (2004) all in a two-year period. Thornton becomes a hot commodity on the international market, and switches from Siena to Fc Barcelona. After getting off to a great start, the second half of the season is conditioned by some physical problems that prohibit him from performing to the best of his ability, but don’t stop him from playing a starring role in the 2006 Euroleague F4. This gained credibility allows Bootsy to immediately find a new home in Spain for 2006/2007 at the ambitious Akasvayu Girona lead by coach Svetislav Pesic. As “specialist” (approx. 15’ court time per game), Thornton competes in the Liga ACB arriving at the quarterfinals (year average of 5.2ppg and 1.6rpg) and wins the 2007 Fiba Eurocup, closing with an average of 7.2ppg and 3.2rpg. The following season he returns to wear Montepaschi’s jersey, with whom he wins the Supercoppa and Italian National Title, and makes the Final Four in Barcelona. His performances in Europe earn him a spot on the All Euroleague Second team. The 2008/2009 season, he heads to Turkey to play for Efes Pilsen Istanbul, where he spends three seasons and wins the championship, the Turkish National Cup and the Turkish President Cup.
source : menssanabasket.it
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