On the same night his alma mater began life without him, Sindarius Thornwell made the first start of his NBA career.
It was Nov. 10 and while South Carolina was opening the 2017-18 season at Wofford, the Los Angeles Clippers were in Oklahoma City to face the Thunder. Thornwell had Paul George and Russell Westbrook to deal with. His analyzing of the Gamecocks had to wait.
“I keep up with the box scores just because it’s hard to catch a game,” Thornwell said Saturday in Charlotte. “Recently we’re all playing at the same time.