Florida State University Athletics
Tuesday, December 19
Tallahassee, Fla.
8:00 p.m.
Florida State
vs
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North Florida
Max Thorpe: Florida State's Older Brother
12/18/2023 2:41:00 PM | Men's Basketball
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- When Max Thorpe was asked what his role on the Florida State Men's Basketball team was this season, there was no hesitation in his answer.
He is the older brother every player hopes for.
He has the trust of his teammates and is confident that when they need to discuss anything, they all feel comfortable talking to the Seminoles' graduate student. Thorpe's seniority on the team allows him to know how to handle many situations.
Thorpe and his teammates play host to North Florida on Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. at the Donald L. Tucker Center in the second of seven consecutive home games. The Seminoles lead the all-time series against the Ospreys by a 7-0 margin.
"Every year each player develops a new role on the team," said Thorpe. "Teams are always changing with players joining and graduating. This year though, it's simple. My role is as the older brother."
Thorpe's role of his did not come about overnight. He is currently in his fourth season with the team, and has earned his Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management (which he did in three years). He still has one year of eligibility following the 2023-24 season as he works on earning his MBA from the FSU College of Business.
When he graduated from high school and decided to come to Florida State as a student, he never pictured himself playing basketball in college let alone for the nationally recognized Florida State basketball team. Originally, he had the intention of joining the team as a manager until Associate Head Coach Stan Jones reached out to him.
He remembers the meeting vividly. It was December of his senior year in 2019 when Jones made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Jones offered him a spot on the roster. The offer opened a new door of possibilities to what his time and experience in college would be.
When 2020 came and the COVID-19 Pandemic impacted the world, Thorpe was not even sure if being added to the Seminoles' roster would actually happen. Once he arrived in Tallahassee to start training during his freshmen year in 2020, being a member of the basketball team at Florida State, allowed for him to ease into this new chapter in life and grow both as a person and a player.
"When the season gets really hectic in the spring with constant traveling and playing several games a week, I like to hold myself accountable," said Thorpe. "I journal every day … seeing it on paper helps me check in on myself."
Thorpe enjoys practicing and maintaining healthy life habits. He begins each day by completing a task whether it is making his bed or doing a load of laundry. He was inspired by teammate Jalen Warley after being roommates while on the road during the season and seeing Warley journal.
In his journal he likes to keep himself accountable by writing down his thoughts, what he did during his day, what his diet consisted of, and even his screen time. He keeps himself accountable to make sure he is living in the moment and doesn't walk around with his head down looking at his phone.
However, there is one aspect that keeps him on his phone – it's his passion for music.
Music is one of his biggest passions, and playing music consistently allows him to clear his head. He listens to music no matter what he is doing; he even plays it while he is sleeping.
Thorpe figures he has listened to over 119,000 minutes since arriving at Florida State. His favorite artists are Drake because of his versatility and Gunna.
Surprisingly though, he has never been to a concert.
"Music is my favorite thing that helps me focus," said Thorpe. "No matter if I am doing homework, working out, walking, driving, or even sleeping, I always have music playing. I am waiting to go to a concert where it would be something I really enjoy and a great experience, not just someone on stage lip singing"
The friendships Thorpe has created as a Seminole have allowed him to create his most cherished memory.
His favorite memory as a member of the Florida State basketball team came on senior night during his sophomore season as he watched one of his best friends, Justin Lindner, honored by Hamilton and his staff.
"Justin is my boy," said Thorpe. "He is my best friend that I've had on this team and seeing him be a starter on senior night just felt really good as a friend."
Thorpe has formed special relationships with Isaac Spainhour and Chandler Jackson on this year's team. Spainhour and Thorpe have formed a unique connection with both players joining the team in the same year (2020) and with both being among the senior members of the team.
Thorpe hopes he is a friend as well as a teammate. It's a responsibility he does not take lightly.
He is the older brother every player hopes for.
He has the trust of his teammates and is confident that when they need to discuss anything, they all feel comfortable talking to the Seminoles' graduate student. Thorpe's seniority on the team allows him to know how to handle many situations.
Thorpe and his teammates play host to North Florida on Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. at the Donald L. Tucker Center in the second of seven consecutive home games. The Seminoles lead the all-time series against the Ospreys by a 7-0 margin.
"Every year each player develops a new role on the team," said Thorpe. "Teams are always changing with players joining and graduating. This year though, it's simple. My role is as the older brother."
Thorpe's role of his did not come about overnight. He is currently in his fourth season with the team, and has earned his Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management (which he did in three years). He still has one year of eligibility following the 2023-24 season as he works on earning his MBA from the FSU College of Business.
When he graduated from high school and decided to come to Florida State as a student, he never pictured himself playing basketball in college let alone for the nationally recognized Florida State basketball team. Originally, he had the intention of joining the team as a manager until Associate Head Coach Stan Jones reached out to him.
He remembers the meeting vividly. It was December of his senior year in 2019 when Jones made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Jones offered him a spot on the roster. The offer opened a new door of possibilities to what his time and experience in college would be.
When 2020 came and the COVID-19 Pandemic impacted the world, Thorpe was not even sure if being added to the Seminoles' roster would actually happen. Once he arrived in Tallahassee to start training during his freshmen year in 2020, being a member of the basketball team at Florida State, allowed for him to ease into this new chapter in life and grow both as a person and a player.
"When the season gets really hectic in the spring with constant traveling and playing several games a week, I like to hold myself accountable," said Thorpe. "I journal every day … seeing it on paper helps me check in on myself."
Thorpe enjoys practicing and maintaining healthy life habits. He begins each day by completing a task whether it is making his bed or doing a load of laundry. He was inspired by teammate Jalen Warley after being roommates while on the road during the season and seeing Warley journal.
In his journal he likes to keep himself accountable by writing down his thoughts, what he did during his day, what his diet consisted of, and even his screen time. He keeps himself accountable to make sure he is living in the moment and doesn't walk around with his head down looking at his phone.
However, there is one aspect that keeps him on his phone – it's his passion for music.
Music is one of his biggest passions, and playing music consistently allows him to clear his head. He listens to music no matter what he is doing; he even plays it while he is sleeping.
Thorpe figures he has listened to over 119,000 minutes since arriving at Florida State. His favorite artists are Drake because of his versatility and Gunna.
Surprisingly though, he has never been to a concert.
"Music is my favorite thing that helps me focus," said Thorpe. "No matter if I am doing homework, working out, walking, driving, or even sleeping, I always have music playing. I am waiting to go to a concert where it would be something I really enjoy and a great experience, not just someone on stage lip singing"
The friendships Thorpe has created as a Seminole have allowed him to create his most cherished memory.
His favorite memory as a member of the Florida State basketball team came on senior night during his sophomore season as he watched one of his best friends, Justin Lindner, honored by Hamilton and his staff.
"Justin is my boy," said Thorpe. "He is my best friend that I've had on this team and seeing him be a starter on senior night just felt really good as a friend."
Thorpe has formed special relationships with Isaac Spainhour and Chandler Jackson on this year's team. Spainhour and Thorpe have formed a unique connection with both players joining the team in the same year (2020) and with both being among the senior members of the team.
Thorpe hopes he is a friend as well as a teammate. It's a responsibility he does not take lightly.
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Players Mentioned
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