David Thompson (basketball)

David Thompson
Thompson with NC State in 1974
Personal information
Born (1954-07-13) July 13, 1954 (age 70)
Shelby, North Carolina, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High schoolCrest (Shelby, North Carolina)
CollegeNC State (1972–1975)
NBA draft1975: 1st round, 1st overall pick
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks
Playing career1975–1984
PositionShooting guard
Number33, 44
Career history
19751982Denver Nuggets
19821984Seattle SuperSonics
Career highlights and awards
Career ABA and NBA statistics
Points13,422 (22.7 ppg)
Rebounds2,446 (4.1 rpg)
Assists1,939 (3.3 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference
Basketball Hall of Fame
Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame

David O'Neil Thompson (born July 13, 1954), commonly known by the nickname "Skywalker", is an American former professional basketball player. He played with the Denver Nuggets of both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as the Seattle SuperSonics of the NBA. He was previously a star in college for North Carolina State, leading the Wolfpack to its first NCAA championship in 1974. Thompson is one of the ten players to score 70 or more points in an NBA game. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996.

Thompson was known for his exceptional leaping ability that enabled him to become one of the game's premier dunkers in the 1970s and earned him the nickname of "Skywalker". Michael Jordan said, "The whole meaning of vertical leap began with David Thompson."[1] Bill Walton described Thompson as "Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, and LeBron James rolled into one".[1]

  1. ^ a b Rash, Ronald (November 21, 2011). "Lost Moments in Basketball History". Grantland. Retrieved June 20, 2019.

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