Weber State University Athletics
Hall of Fame - Justus Thigpen
3/5/2015 6:57:00 PM | Wildcat Club
Justus Thigpen
Men's Basketball (1967-69)
Inducted January 1995
Justus Thigpen enjoyed a standout career with the Wildcats, helping Weber State achieve a glossy 48-9 overall record during his two seasons, including a pair of trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Thigpen, a Flint, Michigan, native, was an Honorable Mention All-American in 1968 to go along with First Team All-Big Sky Conference honors after the 1968 and 1969 seasons. Thigpen, a 6-foot-1 guard, scored 1,005 career points in two seasons. The Wildcats won the Big Sky Conference championships both seasons, advancing to play in the NCAA Tournaments the same years.
Thigpen was named Golden Spike Invitational MVP in 1967 and 1968.
After college, Thigpen played professionally for the Carolina Cougars of the American Basketball Association. He went on to play for teams all over the world, from Pittsburgh to Paris, and eventually with the Detroit Pistons in the 1972-73 season.
As the first basketball player from the Flint, Michigan, area to make it in the NBA, Thigpen paved the way for many young athletes to follow in his path. His own son, Justus Jr., played collegiately at Iowa State. His daughter, Reba, was a standout player at Lansing (Michigan) Community College.
Thigpen, who retired after a career with the Flint Parks and Recreation Department, is a member of the Greater Flint Afro-American Hall of Fame, inducted in 1998.