 Justus
Thigpen
1998 Greater Flint
Afro-American Hall of Fame Inductee
Category: BASKETBALL
Parents: Rev. Justus and Eula Thigpen
Daughter: Reba
Son: Justus, Jr.
Justus came to Flint at an early age. He attended Jefferson Elementary,
Bryant Junior High and graduated from Northern High School. He attended
Flint Junior College (Mott Community College) and graduated from Weber
State University in 1969. Justus was one of the first athletes from
Flint to play professional basketball.
He began playing organized basketball his senior year in high school
and as a starting guard, he was the second leading scorer for the Vikings
which earned him a scholarship to Flint Junior College. While at FJC,
Thigpen did more than blossom as a player, he virtually dominated the
league. His 26.5 point average earned him the honor of being named
Junior College Athlete of the Year and a berth on the Junior College
All Star Team. These accolades caught the attention of many Division
One schools. Thigpen decided to transfer to Weber State University.
In 1968 he was the leading scorer for Weber State, enabling this relatively
small school to make it to the NCAA tournament. People began to hear
about the star guard for Weber State. Thigpen definitely lived up to
his reputation. The San Diego Rockets and Carolina Cougars of the American
Basketball Association, were both vying to recruit Thigpen. His choice
was the Cougars. This choice began a well traveled career in professional
basketball. Justus played basketball from Pittsburgh to Paris, and
eventually with the Pistons. He has competed with some of the best
players in the world.
Basketball is a very important part of Thigpen's life. Flint owes
much of its reputation as a city of basketball excellence to Justus
Thigpen. As the first basketball player from Flint to make it to the
NBA, Thigpen paved the way for many young athletes to follow in his
footsteps.
He continues to be involved in organized basketball in Flint and has
helped to maintain and enhance Flint's reputation as "Hoop City,
USA."
Retired from the Flint Parks and Recreation Department, Justus resides
in the Flint area.
Congratulations, Justus Thigpen, you have made your mark in Flint
history.
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