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2026-27 · Preseason · Preseason
Game state source: whynba · Retrieved Oct 9, 5:36 pm EDTNBA legend. Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Biography, honors and career statistics below.
David Thompson
About David Thompson
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 before drug problems cut short his career. He was previously a star in college for North Carolina State, leading the Wolfpack to its first NCAAchampionship in 1974. Thompson is one of the eleven 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."Bill Walton described Thompson as "Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, and LeBron James rolled into one".
- Born
- July 13, 1954 (age 72) Shelby, North Carolina, U.S.
- Listed height
- 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
- Listed weight
- 195 lb (88 kg)
- Position
- Shooting guard
- High school
- Crest (Shelby, North Carolina)
- College
- NC State (1972–1975)
- NBA draft
- 1975: 1st round, 1st overall pick
- Playing career
- 1975–1984
Career highlights and awards
- 4× NBA All-Star (1977–1979, 1983)
- NBA All-Star Game MVP (1979)
- 2× All-NBA First Team (1977, 1978)
- ABA All-Star (1976)
- ABA All-Star Game MVP (1976)
- All-ABA Second Team (1976)
- ABA Rookie of the Year (1976)
- ABA All-Rookie First Team (1976)
- ABA All-Time Team
- No. 33 retired by Denver Nuggets
- NCAA champion (1974)
- NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (1974)
- 2× National college player of the year (1974, 1975)
- 3× Consensus first-team All-American (1973–1975)
- 2× ACC Athlete of the Year (1973, 1975)
- 3× ACC Player of the Year (1973–1975)
- 3× First-team All-ACC (1973–1975)
- No. 44 retired by NC State Wolfpack
Profile observation date unavailable.
- Height
- 6′ 4″
- Weight
- 195 lb
- Position
- Shooting guard
- Jersey
- Not listed
- Country
- USA
- School / last affiliation
- Not listed
- Draft year
- 1975
- Draft pick
- Round 1 · Pick 1
Height, Weight, Position, Country, Draft year, Draft pick: blank in the NBA.com profile, filled from the Wikipedia infobox credited in the About section above.
Roster observations
These dates show when our saved NBA directory observations listed this player with a team. They are not signing, trade or contract dates, and this is not a complete career history.
No roster observations are stored for this player. Historical profile details above do not establish a current team assignment.
Profile source
Biographical fields reflect the saved official profile at the check time shown above. Team assignments use the dated directory evidence in Roster observations. Offseason rosters and jersey numbers can change.
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