David Thompson - Influence on the NBA

[calkelpdiver]

Growing up in Denver during the mid to late 70's I got to see DT play for the Nuggets. The guy was just amazing. Explosive first step (think MJ or Kobe have a great first step, DT was faster), kangaroo legs (nickname Skywalker was perfect, he even rejected taller players), killer jump shot (never really got blocked, had to strip him low by hacking) from all over the court, and a great sense of the floor (always looked for other players with better shot). Awsome player!

[mixmaster291]

wasnt this song on inuyasha season 4

[Wehategod]

Sky Walker was an amazing Ball Player his Influence is still felt today

[1967mustanggta]

I was a kid growing up in NC and we didn't give a rat's ass about UNC or Duke in the mountains. We were all NC State fans and loved 1974 of course. I still don't care for UNC or Duke - I don't even like their colors!

[wufpac1983]

One of the biggest jokes ever was that MJ was the best bb player in ACC history, he couldnt hold Thompson's jock in colllege.

not even close...

[hellocrazy1]

@wufpac1983 show me the evidence

[spock3361]

I have watched the recent and current great dunkers of the game and I have to say that Dr.J and the Skywalker were the greatest BAR NONE. In fact I have horror stories of dunks D.T. has performed in games that was so surreal that til this day I can barely except them as reality . Those clips you have seen are nothing compared to what he really could do.If the NBA would redo the games I saw, every current dunker in the league would bow down to a force greater than themselves.

[justbecuz41]

One of the greatest players to ever lace them up, the original Skywalker! Certainly the best player in ACC and possibly NCAA history and a great player professional as well even though his career was cut short by personal demons and injuries. GO WOLFPACK!

[blackadam06]

Man..TOO MANY of U dumb ass YouTube kids have TOO MUCH bitchass-ness in U..

You're ALWAYS trying to discredit the Legends to build your favorite players of today up. You idiots & your "disrespect to get respect mentality" would get U fucked up by true fans of the sport if U were in a sports bar talkin' that bullshit..

[robotsky8]

Sorry, that's my 8 year old bro fucking this account. I squat 405 pounds at 210 pounds. Bye!

[narutodemonfoxnaruto]

i don't know why, but i find 2:04 messed up and funny as hell

[badpdx]

Okay, this is going a little overboard. I mean, DT was a great college player, but you're acting like he was the most influential NBA player ever. And your argument seems to be that he greatly influenced MJ, and therefore other players.

I don't know if you've ever heard of Elgin Baylor and Connie Hawkins (let alone Dr. J, Darryl Dawkins, George Gervin and Larry Nance). Those guys were all incredibly influential on later players, including Jordan, Nique, Drexler, Barkley, Kemp, etc..

[kennyb50]

Darryl Dawkins? Dude, you completely lost me with that one. Sure, he went straight from high school to the pros and he smashed a couple of backboards but I don't think he ever made an all star team. As for Larry Nance, he was a very good and consistent player but never spectacular. I can see some guy emulating his work ethic but his style of play was nothing special. He's never been considered one of the greats.

[badpdx]

I never said Darryl Dawkins was a great player, or an All-Star. That isn't the issue. Please pay attention. I used the word "influential." And that he was. He influenced countless power dunkers who came after him, from Barkley to Kemp to Shaq. Same argument goes for Larry Nance, who won early slam dunk contests with his creativity and leaping ability, which was in fact a little bit spectacular. Hope you don't stay lost.

[blur7483]

I have no doubt that Michael Jordan was influenced by players other than David Thompson. And, believe it or not, the great modern players may have learned something from someone other than Michael Jordan. Oh, the horror!! While Walter Davis was a great college and pro player he was nowhere near David Thompson while the two were in college. Not even close.

[stevenash2300]

I take it you don't have any real david thompson clips...I leave disapointed.

[ShangoDC]

Next, to Dr. J, David Thompson was the most explosive player going to the rim back in the day (70's) and throwing it down hard. "DT" as he was could, was truly a pioneering high flyer. He had small hands, but he could get up extremly high for back then or today. A very serious player one of the very best before he blow out his knee. Scored 73 points in one game.

[3dsumowrestler]

You have to give it up to the guy whom The Greatest Player in History has modeled his game after.

[aznGTboi]

inuyasha music ey haha

[AntiPr0]

i read that at his best times he had a 4 foot vertical and that he could pick up a coin from the TOP of the BACKBOARD

[JetsFan369]

"The Verticle jump started with david Thompson"

- Michael Jordan

[slantone]

Michael Jordan has said the two biggest infuences on his style of play- and game- where his older brother and a Carolina Guard named David "Skywalker: Thompson.....respect.

[blur7483]

Make that an NC State guard.

[JDorman3rd]

he did model his game after an unc guard/forward as well too. . .walter davis

[kennyb50]

DT and Walter Davis were contemporaries. They both played in the ACC. Nobody and I mean nobody rated them as equals. Thompson was head and shoulders the best player in the ACC and I'm talking about a league that was full of 1st round draft choices.

[jirishanca]

I'll agree 100% there. Thompson was brilliant.

Davis didn't really impress people that much at North Carolina, perhaps because of the coaching and playing style. But he surprised big-time when he hit the NBA as a first-rate all-around forward. (Not a Thompson, though.)

[samvswild1]

don't ever confuse unc and nc state

[sedehi123]

nice song

somebody knows the name ?

[durant4796]

the dunk in the beginning was vc

nice mix