22.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.2 APG, 50 FG%, 28 3P%, 78 FT%
“On the court, David Thompson did things with his body that made opponents stop in their tracks. Off the court, Thompson did things to his body that stopped him in his own tracks. In public appearances after his playing days had ended, he would begin by saying, “I had the ability to be one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game.and I blew it.”
When Thompson was on, perhaps only Julius Erving was a more explosive player. With a 44-inch vertical leap and laser-quick moves, “the Skywalker” was one of the most exciting and acrobatic players the league has ever seen. Like “Dr. J,” Thompson could score from anywhere on the court-and within the blink of an eye. But it was his ability to soar and hang in the air that awed people and dogged opponents the most. The story goes that while Thompson was playing at North Carolina State, he could snag a quarter off the top of the backboard. If anybody could do it, Thompson could.
Tragically, cocaine and alcohol problems plagued Thompson throughout much, if not all, of his too-brief pro career. What led this brilliant, once-in-a-generation player to turn to drugs? People who knew him said it was a combination of stress, exhaustion, relentless pressure to excel, an inability to handle being the highest-paid player in the history of team sports, and his changing role while playing for the Denver Nuggets. Thompson, soft-spoken and highly sensitive, acknowledged that he had always had a problem venting his emotions. Drugs became his outlet.” [Read]
[Note: the music accompanying this video is questionable at best, but the footage is good]
[Sources: NBA.com, YouTube, Basketball-Reference.com]
