NC State basketball to honor David Thompson with statue outside of Reynolds Coliseum
NC State basketball legend David Thompson will be the first Wolfpack athlete to have a statue on campus, the school announced Monday.
A three-time All-American, Thompson will have a statute sculpted in his honor and placed outside of Reynolds Coliseum. The unveiling of the statute will be Dec. 6 at 11:30 a.m. ahead of NC State basketball’s annual Heritage Game against Maryland Eastern Shore at Reynolds.
"This is such a deserved honor for the greatest basketball player to ever wear an NC State jersey," Boo Corrigan, NC State’s director of athletics, said in a school-issued statement.
"He is one of the most iconic players to ever play in the ACC and our hope is that this statue will ensure that generations of NC State students and fans will always remember the legacy and contributions of David Thompson."
What David Thompson meant to NC State basketball, UNC basketball's Michael Jordan
One of the greatest players in college basketball history, Thompson played at NC State from 1972-75 and was the ACC Player of the Year in all three seasons.
Known as “Skywalker” because of his high-flying, above-the-rim play, Thompson averaged 24.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. In 1974, the Shelby native led State to a 30-1 record and the program’s first NCAA championship.
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Thompson made the go-ahead basket to help the Wolfpack rally for a 78-75 win in double overtime against UCLA, the seven-time reigning national champion. He finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds against the Bruins before adding 21 points in a 76-64 win against Marquette in the national championship.
Named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1974 NCAA Tournament, Thompson averaged 29.9 points per game as a senior in 1975 for the highest single-season average in program history. He scored an ACC record 57 points against Buffalo State that season.
Thompson closed his career with 2,309 points in 86 career games. He led the ACC in scoring all three seasons and was NC State and the ACC's career scoring leader when he graduated. NC State later retired Thompson's No. 44 jersey.
The NBA’s Denver Nuggets retired Thompson’s No. 33 jersey in 1992 and he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996. In 2009, Thompson was the presenter for Michael Jordan at Jordan's Hall of Fame induction.
“As I grew up in North Carolina, I was an anti-Carolina guy. I hated UNC,” Jordan said during his enshrinement speech.
“I was in love with David Thompson, not just for the game of basketball, but in terms of what he represented. We all go through our trials and tribulations, and he did, and I was inspired by him.”
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NC State basketball to honor David Thompson with statue
