Al Thornton

3.1.1. Los Angeles Clippers

On June 28, 2007, Willie Alford Thornton was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers as the 14th overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. He shared the same agent as Yao Ming.

Thornton made his debut for the Clippers in the NBA Summer League on July 9, scoring 24 points, along with 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks in a 108-102 loss to the Denver Nuggets. In only his third preseason game as a rookie, he led the Clippers to a victory over the Golden State Warriors, scoring 24 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including a perfect 2-of-2 from beyond the three-point arc and converting all 8 of his initial attempts from the field.

At the beginning of the 2007-08 season, Ruben Patterson was in the starting lineup, limiting Thornton's playing time compared to the preseason. However, Patterson was waived on December 13, 2007, to allow the rookie more minutes on the court. With a series of injuries affecting the Clippers' big men, including Paul Davis (torn ACL), Tim Thomas (recurring back and ankle injuries), and Elton Brand (ruptured achilles tendon), Thornton capitalized on the increased opportunities, playing both power forward and small forward, especially when teammate Corey Maggette was on the bench.

On January 30, 2008, Thornton achieved a then-season-high 33 points against the Atlanta Hawks, contributing a crucial block in the final seconds to secure a 95-88 Clippers victory. He also recorded his first double-double on February 9, with 18 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. On March 29, 2008, Thornton tied a rookie franchise record and set a Clippers season-high with 39 points against the Memphis Grizzlies. He shot 13-of-23 from the field, 3-of-6 from three-point range, and 10-of-12 from the free-throw line in a 110-97 win. He scored 20 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter, sealing the win and ending the Clippers' 10-game losing streak.

On May 13, 2008, Al Thornton was named to the 2008 NBA All-Rookie First Team. On October 31, 2008, he recorded a season-high double-double with 30 points and 11 rebounds.

3.1.2. Washington Wizards

On February 17, 2010, Thornton was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Washington Wizards. This move was part of a complex three-team, six-player trade. The trade involved Antawn Jamison moving from Washington to the Cleveland Cavaliers, while Žydrūnas Ilgauskas, a 2010 first-round pick, and the rights to Emir Preldžič were sent from Cleveland to Washington. Additionally, Drew Gooden went from Washington to Los Angeles, and Sebastian Telfair was traded from Los Angeles to Cleveland.

3.1.3. Golden State Warriors

On March 1, 2011, Thornton reached a buyout agreement with the Wizards and was subsequently waived. He then signed a contract with the Golden State Warriors on March 3, 2011. On March 14, 2011, Thornton scored 23 points against the Sacramento Kings, marking his highest scoring performance as a member of the Warriors.

3.2.1. Puerto Rico

On February 19, 2012, Thornton signed with the Guayama Wizards of the Puerto Rican basketball league, Baloncesto Superior Nacional. During this stint, he averaged 18.7 points per game. In March 2014, he rejoined the Guayama Wizards for a second time.

3.2.2. China

On September 29, 2012, Thornton signed with the Zhejiang Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association. However, due to an injury, he was replaced mid-season by Gary Forbes.

3.2.3. Philippines

On January 2, 2015, Thornton signed with the NLEX Road Warriors in the PBA. He made his debut during the 2015 PBA Commissioner's Cup, scoring 28 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in a loss to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. In another game against the Alaska Aces, he led his team with 39 points and 13 rebounds. He later recorded a PBA career-low of 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting from the field. However, he quickly bounced back with 39 points and 15 rebounds, leading NLEX to its first win of the conference. NLEX then went on a five-game winning streak to secure a playoff spot, which included a game where Thornton scored 50 points against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. Despite their strong run, NLEX was swept by the Meralco Bolts in the playoffs.

In January 2016, Thornton returned to the Philippines to play for NLEX again in the 2016 Commissioner's Cup. He started the campaign by once again scoring 50 points in an overtime victory over Ginebra. In a triple-overtime game against the San Miguel Beermen, he achieved a career-high of 69 points, which was also the most points scored by any PBA player in over two decades, though his team ultimately lost the game. NLEX did not qualify for the playoffs in that conference.

Thornton was later selected to represent the Mighty Sports PH, a club representing the Philippines, at the 2016 William Jones Cup. He led Mighty Sports-Philippines to an 86-65 victory over South Korea with 24 points on the second day of the tournament. He continued to lead Mighty Sports with 30 points in an 101-81 win against India, and the following day, he tallied 24 points and 10 rebounds in an 80-73 win over Iran. Thornton's strong performances, including a double-double of 20 points and 15 rebounds in an 80-61 win over Egypt, helped Mighty Sports achieve a 7-0 win-loss record. They ultimately won the gold medal with an undefeated 8-0 record, defeating Chinese Taipei B 104-80 on the final day.

3.2.4. Japan

On February 28, 2018, Thornton signed with the Shimane Susanoo Magic of Japan's B.League.

3.2.5. Uruguay

On August 7, 2020, Thornton signed with Club Atlético Aguada of the Liga Uruguaya de Basketball in Uruguay.