Village remembering a hometown champion

Growing up in Bonduel, few things meant more to Jacob Thorne than basketball.

So his father is working with Bonduel village leaders on a fitting tribute to the community’s fallen champion — a new public basketball court built in his memory.

Thorne, who excelled as a basketball player in high school and college, was killed May 9 in a traffic accident on the night of his 22nd birthday.

At the time of his death, he was an assistant basketball coach in the same Bonduel School District program that he helped lead to glory only a few years earlier with a conference championship for the varsity high school team.

His father, Shawn Thorne, is planning a fundraising drive to build a new full-sized basketball court at Village Park in memory of his son. Other than a few small schoolyard courts, it would be the first real public place in Bonduel where kids could shoot hoops.

“Basketball was a big part of his life,” Shawn Thorne said. “This is a nice way to give back to the community.”

Village officials have endorsed the concept at Village Park, both as a tribute to Jacob Thorne and as a worthwhile improvement in public recreation.

Village Board Trustee Joan Kamps said the basketball court could inspire other boys and girls in the Bonduel area to try basketball and to strive for the sort of success that Thorne achieved.

“I think it’s a terrific idea,” Kamps said. “Jacob was an inspiration to a lot of people in the community.”

Thorne, who graduated from Bonduel High School in 2012, was a starter on the basketball team that captured the conference championship during his senior year. He later played for Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee before returning to Bonduel and becoming a coach.

Nathan Doell, a teammate on the conference championship team, recalled that he and Thorne as children had a difficult time finding a place in Bonduel to play the game they loved. Years later, there is still no high-quality facilities available to the public, Doell said.

Building a new public court in Thorne’s memory would be a wonderful gesture, Doell said. He added: “I can’t think of a better way to remember Jacob.”

Shawn Thorne said he envisions a full-size basketball court with enough hoops that the park could host basketball tournaments or camps. He also wants to have a healthy supply of basketballs available for the public, so people can just show up and enjoy themselves.

Thorne said early estimates show that his vision could cost $60,000 or more. Although he is willing to invest his own money, he also is planning a drive to raise donations to move the project forward. He hopes to see the basketball court complete by next year.

He would like to see Jacob’s name imprinted on the basketballs, but he is unsure whether the entire court should be named after his son.

“Jacob wasn’t one to get recognition,” he said. “He was more about the result.”