M.J. Air Jordan. The G.O.A.T. His Airness. Whatever you call him. Michael Jordan’s name is synonymous with the game of basketball. We all know of his exploits and on-court feats. Although Jordan is loved within the basketball community, one aspect of his story rarely gets noticed. There is one man that Jordan saw as being an integral part of his path to the NBA. So important is this man that Jordan requested that he be the one to introduce him to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. This man that Bill Walton once described as being, “Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, and LeBron James rolled into one”, is David ‘Skywalker’ Thompson.
Path to Stardom
Thompson was destined for stardom within the ABA and NBA. It seemed that from an early age Thompson had the natural ability to excel within the sport of basketball. Thompson grew up in the small town of Boiling Springs, South Carolina and dominated the court from an early age. During the spring of 1970, a 16-year-old Thompson took part in a two-week-long basketball camp. It was at this camp where he outplayed college-level talent, and something extraordinary happened. This basketball camp wasn’t a normal one, as the ABA sharpshooter Harley ‘Skeeter’ Swift Jr was in attendance. In the middle of a game, Skeeter switches onto Thompson, believing that he had to teach the cocky teenager some humility. However, it soon became apparent that Skeeter couldn’t stop him.
Thompson would join the Wolfpack at North Carolina State University, and lead the team to the NCAA Championship in 1973. Throughout his three seasons at NC State, Thompson would average 26.8 PPG
He would play for the Denver Nuggets for the next seven seasons and averaged 23.5 PPG. During his first four seasons with the Nuggets, he would make four consecutive All-Star Appearances. Thompson also holds the record for the third largest scoring night in an NBA game with 73. 51 came in the first half.
Downward Spiral
However, Thompson’s last year with the Nuggets was not a successful one as his points per game dropped drastically. This change was a result of his growing reliance on cocaine. Thompson played basketball during a period of time where many players were addicted to some form of substance. This was so great of an issue that by 1983 the NBA Drug Act was implemented in an attempt to curb the rampant drug use. Unfortunately for Thompson, he was unable to quit, and his on-court production began to diminish.
Thompson was traded to the Seattle Supersonics in 1982 and was able to gain his fifth and last All-Star appearance. Throughout his two years with the Supersonics, Thompson averaged 14.2 PPG and played only 19 games in his final season. Although Thompson’s career had been affected by drugs, this is not what ended his career. Thompson’s career was brought to a sudden and abrupt end in 1984 when Thompson was pushed down a flight of stairs at Studio 54 in New York.
Recreating his Life
Thompson’s life continued to spiral downwards as he was jailed for 180 days for an assault. However, after he was released Thompson got his life back on track and was able to overcome his alcohol and drug addiction. Although Thompson was never able to achieve the lofty expectations that were set in place, being a part of basketball didn’t end.
Thompson now spends his days as a motivational speaker and appears at various Denver Nuggets and Charlotte Hornet events. When speaking about his past, Thompson states “I had the ability to be one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game…and I blew it.” Looking at Thompson’s stats we can’t help but wonder, what would Thompson have achieved if drugs hadn’t derailed his career?
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