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he first met Abdnor. It was the day after Thune had played in a high school basketball game, where he had made five of six free throws. But then-Rep. Abdnor said, "I noticed you missed one last night."
• Abdnor kept in touch and eventually hired Thune as an aide in his Senate office after college.
• Thune drew laughs when he relayed a story about how he hit a bad shot during a golf outing with Abdnor.
• "It drills him right in the chest. Without missing a beat, he looks down and says, "I've got it,' " Thune said.

• The senator choked up as he told about the last time he saw Abdnor -- they watched the NCAA men's championship basketball game.
• "For Jim and me, it ended like it began. Just a couple of small-town guys sitting and watching a ball game, like we had so many times before," Thune said.
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