DAVID THOMPSON
BIOGRAPHY
David Thompson grew up outside of Shelby, North Carolina, in the foothills of
southwestern North Carolina, the youngest of 11 children. The son of a working class
couple who believed that actions speak louder than words, David took those lessons to
heart and became the best college basketball player the ACC has ever produced.
At age 13, David made the junior varsity team at Crest High School. He excelled so
quickly that he was invited to join the varsity team by Christmas. Modest and shy by
nature, Thompson declined the invitation out of his sense of loyalty to his teammates.
David rapidly grew in size and ability, which naturally attracted many college
recruiters. During his senior year, David led his team to a 32-game winning streak and
narrowed his college choices to three schools: North Carolina State University, the
University of North Carolina and Gardner-Webb. That spring David chose North
Carolina State University.
At North Carolina State, it took David three games to break the Reynolds-Coliseum
single game scoring record by pouring in 54 points, a record he broke 3 years later
when he scored 57 points, also an ACC record. He was one of the outstanding players
in NCAA history. David was listed as a first team member of college basketball’s AllTime Dream Team as selected by basketball expert, Dick Weiss in College Sports
Magazine. Thompson joined Larry Bird, Lew Alcindor, Oscar Robertson and Michael
Jordan.
At North Carolina State, he was a three-time First-Team All-American, a three-time
All-ACC selection, and a two-time Associated Press National Player of the Year. He
led the Wolfpack to the number one ranking and 1974 NCAA Championship with a 30-1
record. In 1975, Thompson earned the Naismith, Rupp, AP, Eastman Kodak and
The Sporting News Player of the Year honors. Among his many accomplishments,
Thompson won ACC Athlete of the Year in 1973 and 1975. He was ACC Basketball
Player of the Year in three varsity seasons and was a unanimous choice to each of the
All-ACC teams during his career. He was also named to the NCAA All Decade Team of
the 1970's and was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1982. His
uniform number 44 is the only basketball jersey retired at North Carolina State. David
was recently chosen by Sports Illustrated as a member of the ALL-Century Team this
is a great honor because the team only consisted of 5 Players over the last 100 Years.
Thompson burst upon the professional scene in the ABA in1975. He was drafted with
the first pick of the 1975 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks, and his signing with the
ABA's Virginia Squires marked the first time the ABA captured the NBA's first draft
choice. The Squires traded Thompson to the Denver Nuggets. He had a distinguished
professional career, playing nine seasons with Denver Nugget's (1975-82), and Seattle
Supersonics (1982-84). He was voted ABA Rookie of the Year, ABA All-Star Game MVP
and Second-Team-All-ABA in his first year of professional basketball. He played four
NBA All-Star Games and won the MVP in the 1979 game. A two-time first team AllNBA in 1977 and 1978, he averaged 22.1 ppg. in regular season and 22.9 ppg. in the
playoffs during his NBA career. He is also the only player to be named MVP in both
the ABA and NBA All-Star Games. Thompson holds the NBA record for most fields
goals in a quarter (13). His 73-point outburst against the Detroit Pistons on April 9,
1978 is the third-highest point total in NBA history. On November 2. 1992, his number
33 jersey was retired by the Denver Nuggets.
David is currently a motivational speaker with Unlimited Success Sports Management,
traveling the United States and the world speaking to business leaders, community
groups, athletes and students. The name David Thompson brings back memories for
many basketball fans across the country, but the name means more than the
championships and personal awards. David is a sincere person striving to make a
difference in our society. His message is beneficial to all, using his experiences in life
to help others make the right choice through belief in God, teamwork, commitment
and the pursuit to be your personal best. David was selected by the Carolinas'
Athlete of the Year Awards Selection Committee as the 1994 as the recipient of the
Joe Mallamo Humanitarian Award. The award annually honors an individual who has
freely given to the betterment of sports in the Carolinas. The Colorado Sports Halls of
Fame inducted David Thompson on February 5, 1996 for his contribution to sports and
basketball in the state of Colorado.
David Thompson was thrilled and honored to learn on February 5, 1996 he had been
elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. This is the ultimate honor for a basketball
player.
"There are so many people to thank but first I would like to thank the Lord Jesus
Christ, my wife Cathy, two daughters Erika and Brooke, family, friends, coaches and
organizations I played for during my career."
"Being elected the same time as George Gervin is special because we had so many
battles together including the 1978 scoring title that was decided by four points."
“I am thankful that I can use my life as an example to help others as I was able
through the grace of God to overcome adversity in my life."
Whether as an athlete, husband, father of two daughters or a motivational speaker,
David Thompson is a true champion.
In the fall of 2003, an autobiography entitled David Thompson, Skywalker was
published by Sports Publishing, LLC. It is an in-depth look at his life that tells his
inspiring story – the rise, fall and incredible recovery of the man they called
Skywalker.