Before Michael Jordan was crowned ‘His Airness’, there was a player who electrified the NBA with his own high-flying, above the rim style of play. Thompson’s legend first started in college at North Carolina State, when in his freshman season, he led the Wolfpack to a 27-0 unbeaten record. In the 1973-74 season, Thompson led the NC State Wolfpack to victory in the NCAA Tournament, winning the Most Outstanding Player during the tournament. He is also credited as the progenitor of the alley-oop pass along with teammate Monte Towne. Thompson averaged around 27 points and 8 rebounds over his college career on 55% shooting, earning his place as one of the greatest ACC conference players of all time. In both the NBA’s and ABA’s 1975 Draft, Thompson was selected with the first overall pick, and he ended up signing with the Denver Nuggets of the ABA. In his rookie season, he made the ABA All-Star game, was a part of the All-ABA Second team, and won the Rookie of the Year award, all while ave...
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