Bruce Thornton reveals unique connection to current Rockets forward

Recent No. 31 overall draft pick Bruce Thornton caught up with the Houston media earlier this week, revealing a unique connection with a few current Rockets players.

Thornton, who played all four years of college basketball at Ohio State, is a native of Georgia, just like current Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. According to Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle, Thornton revealed that he played with Smith Jr. on an AAU team back in elementary school.

Thornton also revealed an eagerness to play with veteran point guard Fred VanVleet, having studied his game while at OSU. Both listed below 6’3″, VanVleet will be a great mentor for Thornton to have as he tries to carve out a role in the Rockets’ rotation.

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Bruce Thornton reveals unique connection to current Rockets forward