Skywalker: The David Thompson Story | NBA Documentary | Michael Jordan's Idol
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 มี.ค. 2022
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Skywalker, this has to be one of the greatest nicknames ever.
David Thompson one of the best. Largely overlooked. It was a joy watching you.
25th re we q 4
He’s overrated Lebron is way better
IN MY OPION HE IS THE BEST
Every time I see Bill Walton talking he is talking highly about someone... never about himself. What a class act 👏👏👏👏
True indeed but he used to give his son hell when he was a commutator.
Very true. Walton is class personified!
Damn very true. Whether Bird Magic MJ McHale. N several others ..
You're not suppose to talk about yourself....you let others do it and others have
His career ended early bro. His knees I believe gave out on him at an early time when he was in the nba
The summer between my 7th and 8th grade years following my first season of organized basketball, I had the good fortune to get to go N.C.State's basketball camp with my best friend from East Cobb Junior high in Marietta, Ga. It was thrilling to get to meet David Thompson, Tom Burleson, Mo Rivers and the whole National Championship team and inspired me to continue to work hard on my game. In 1978 I was fortunate to be a member of the 26-2 runner-up state championship team from Asheville School in Asheville, N.Carolina. That same year in N.Carolina high school basketball James Worthy's team was single A state champs, Eric Sleepy Floyd's team was double AA state champs and Dominique Wilkins team was triple AAA state champs. What a great time to get to play high school basketball in North Carolina!
Amazing !
@@RogerPeet Yea I died a thousand deaths as a kid when my hometown team The Atlanta Hawks made David Thompson the no. 1 pick in the N.B.A. draft and then couldn't sign him and the A.B.A. and the Nuggets got him. He would have been on a team with Pete Maravich, Lou Hudson, John Drew. Idiots!
@@markredgrave1665 I don't blame you. That would have been one great team. I'm from Portland OR and we could have had a guy named Michael Jordan, but took an injury prone center. Idiots!
I modeled some of my game after David. I used to hang on my jumper and shoot right after the peak of my leap.
It worked well. Earl Monroe, Pistol Pete and David were my heroes. Great video.
I feel ya, my game was influenced by the Pearl and the pull up jumper in your grill of Charlie Scott and Bob Mcadoo
Right on 😂
My family grew up with David they have so many great stories about him.
Do you know what David's mom's maiden name was?
He was the father of the term called Vertical Leap
David Thompson was a Great Player without a doubt. Revolutionary at the time and very influential. Great Man too.
And they couldn't dunk in college then.
He should get more recognition, this man legit inspired Michael Jordan to play basketbal, without DT we wouldn’t have MJ
But he gave all that away when he thought cocaine & alcohol were more important than his game...
I've met Mr. Thompson had a great conversation and watched him play and is still a N.C. State fan.
The younger generation NBA players needs to watch this David Thompson documentary……
P
@@rogerwashong5270 ????
@@delbertprince5302 P (period)
WORD! 👍💯
For Real 😮
I remember seeing him play when I was a teenager . Amazing to watch.
Same Here as a Teenager I remember him as a Superhero Superstar Basketball 🏀 player in college
Sometimes one needs to lose everything because there are lessons to be learned 🙏
It’s unbelievable that David Thompson has NEVER received all the recognition he really deserved, and I fully understand, admire, and respect Michael Jordan naming David Thompson as his favorite player. Along with similar makeshift unsaved basketball courts , and similar athleticism, he was the perfect example to emulate.
If MJ the GOAT. idolized that guy, then he is amazing basketball player.
👍👍
I like Wilt.
Jabber is the GOAT!
Lol. IF ..... research is the beginning of wisdom. MJ isn't the goat. But keep digging keep looking. You are on the right path to knowledge. I hope you enjoy the path. Amazing men in your future studies.
David I my opinion is one of the top 100 players of all time.
He's top 50.
He's also the 5th best off guard of all-time.
Jordan
Bryant
West
Gervin
Thompson
David Thompson is better than Dwyane Wade.
@@upb4theam446 I lived in Virginia and I saw all the ACC games between Maryland and NC State and saw him play at NC State and in my opinion he was the greatest College player I ever saw.
@@jeffreylorenger6746
He definitely has a legit claim at that.
In the late 70's as a pre- teen and then teen and following the NBA my fav 3 where Dr.J, Pistol Pete, and Skywalker. NBA on CBS I loved that game.
Best two basketball players I loved to watch was David Thompson and Bernard King. Both lives shortened by personal demons (DT) and injury (BK).
Bernard. Knicks, warriors? Yes I he could score Tucson Arizona Sonoran desert 🏜️ Jah
@@stephansteohanlarsen7457 Knicks
looking back I was lucky enough to be at the ABA 's final game . Thanks to my Uncle David Campbell (rip)
David Thompson thank you for all the good memories .
Well without David Thompson there probably wouldn't be a Michael Jordan.
I've learned about someone Special that I've not ever heard of. This is what I can tell my son about. He's a Sports fanatic and very knowledgeable as far as Sports are concerned.
Is any wonder Bill Walton won as many championships as he did.
Always puts other players above himself what a class act
For Thompson's senior year NCSU had signed a guard from Pennsylvania, but he decided to go someplace else and play football. Guy named Joe Montana.
Montana was also a decent hi-jumper. . .
He is the greatest ACC basketball of all time! Very, very nice, the compliments from Walton, Jordan and others. And he is a nice guy too. I've actually met him a few times.
One of my favorite documentaries!
I've been looking for film of that fall against Pitt online and this is the first time I found it. I was a child in Pittsburgh rooting for Pitt and remember how scary that fall was while he was laying on the floor unconscious.
David's hops are the stuff of legend.
We were middle school white kids in the Midwest. We lived for basketball and we idolized David Thompson, Dr. J, Artis, and Ghervin. It was never a black/white context. We just thought we were all basketball players.
The way it should be.
😊You were ballers w basketball jones, I feel ya.
Yeah sports make society forget about race but society an politics reminds you
Lol this is meaningless saltine tale nobody cares who you idolize when your family practices hate & injustice against the same group. You're the same shut up and dribble ws.
All basketball players in short shorts 😂
One of the very best. I appreciate his candor . I've been there.
I loved watching David Skywaker Thompson
Much Gratitude
David was uncanny! Thank you for the memories.
The original Skywalker 44inch vertical leap took down Bill Walton and UCLA maybe the most underrated great player basketball history.
David Thompson where is extremely talented athletically, and he was another version of Dr J., But like so many great players of the past never got to recognition that was deserving. He was truly a must see his leaping ability was out of this world. Without a doubt if he played today's game he would definitely be a superstar. Is one person of today's game that sort of reminds me of him and that is the grizzlies Superstar, Morant. His leaping ability and versatility is like no other very similar. I believe in a dunking contest he had leaped so high he had leaped between the top of the backboard and the square, or close to it, 🤔😇 simply amazing and awesome and it was a treasure and remember his highlights playing for Denver nuggets if I'm not mistaken 🤔.
If David never tried drugs (as was the trend of some of the nba players back then), and David remained healthy throughout his career, say if he played for 20 years healthy, things could have ran out differently.
Emanuel Frederick ...Thompson short circuited his career by abusing cocaine.
@@brucescott4261 Thank you, I forgot about that, you're absolutely correct 👍
@Emanuel Frederick ...Michael Ray Richardson, Walter Davis, et al. also destroyed their careers by using and abusing cocaine.
@Emanuel Frederick ...You're welcome! The Skywalker also looked up to Julius Winfield "Dr. J" Erving II.
Thompson, not Dr. J, is who Michael Jordan grew up idolizing & patterning his game after. That alone should tell you how great Thompson was!
Although his basketball career ended tragically, his redemption arc is something to be admired. He may not get the recognition he deserves as an influence and innovator on the court, but him being MJ's hero is all you need as far as credibility in my book!
Guys who wrre Disciplined for "Substance"Abuce" Dont Deserve a Big-Up Aplause but get Negative Press..only those who couldnt do the Mascarade an couldnt hold it Down" weer xposed ..a whole lotta them its Recreational.party. my boy is 1 J Harden🤗🤗😎😎 u dont party till mornin witout a"Nose-Job" Ask Mike J. Any one😁😄😄
@@aubreywallace7918
That's a lie.
Jordan never did any drugs.
Never guess who I was thinking about, watching Ja Morant and the Grizzles
My favorite. College player of all time . I watch him even when he didn’t have the ball ! I’m a white kid from a small town in Missouri . Pop 736
Imagine injury free careers of David Thompson, Bernard King, Bill Walton
I was shocked when I saw DT tapes of him playing ball. MJs gane to the basket is an exact copy. Down to the arm dunk poses and the free throw pose thru the air
Great player in the top ten of all times best Facts
Good job, he brought a interest to Denver, I never thought was on the map. In Basketball 🏀 😉👊🏾
It's a crying shame to see you tube channels that list what they think are the greatest basketball players of all time and , they don't seem to realize that basketball was played before 1990. David Thompson should be listed amongst the all time greats.
I could listen to Walton talk about basketball all day and then some..
Great talent. Should have made the NBA75 team. Hardin, Westbrook.....Really.
ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY! I couldn't believe that he wasn't named one of the 75. It reminded me of when Dominique Wilkins was foolishly left out of the 50th anniversary team. But to omit "Skywalker" is even more disgusting to me because of there being 75 players. If it wasn't for Harden's flawless traveling step back, I don't think he would have made it. That's some fucking horseshit.
@@dustinbarton2337 Thompson is a 4 time All star, 2 time all nba first team, 1 time all star mvp. The rest of his accomplishments are from the ABA.
James Harden was an nba MVP, 10 time all star, 6 time first team all nba, 1 time 3rd team all nba, 3 time scoring champion, 6th man of the year, and lead the league in assists.
Westbrook is a former MVP, 9 time all star, 2 time all star mvp, 2 time first team all nba, 5 time second team all nba, 2 time 3rd team, 2 time scoring champion, 3 times assists leader
Not saying they’re better than DT, but they’re much more decorated. I understand
Big David Thompson fan, both are justified
@@turtlehead2 David Thompson, as good as he is, was the unsung hero of the NBA. There were many players back then but I believe that DT could also hang out with the best players of today.
David Thompson was FANTASTIC! Drugs Suck. Thank you, David, for all your Greatness.
And remember, ..... No Dunking in College Ball!
SKYWALKER was my favorite player growing up!!
0:28
David Thompson was NOT the first "high flyer" in the NBA.
Elgin Baylor.
Yikes you know your stuff👍. Forgot about that
@@woodyboy6493 I could also point out that Doctor J entered the pros (ABA) the same year David entered COLLEGE - so David wasn't even the SECOND "high flyer" in the Pros.
They did both come to the NBA the same year, David via the "dispersal draft" and Julius via a bit more complicated contractual mess way, in the year of the merger - but David only had one season in the ABA prior to the merger.
Without a doubt one of the top 10 players of all time.
24:20 Billy Paultz, lol!
I vividly remember a play during the 1976-77 ABA/NBA merger season in Portland Memorial Coliseum and David Thompson driving the baseline and being met at the rim by Bill Walton as Thompson flew in for a dunk, the entire backboard shattered! I can’t remember whether Walton blocked the shot or whether he got posterized because of all the glass! as a Blazer fan, Walton definitely blocked the shot! 😆
I dont know what Thompson vert was but I guess it was at least close to 45" to 50" so at 6'4" he was playing way above the rim. I'm 66 I did see him in his prime ,no bs his jump shot was released above the rim.
He always reminded me of Clyde Drexler!!!
I want you to know this about me, so that you can understand where, when and how I grew up: Born in Seattle in 1973, where I grew up. Sonics and Blazers fan. Japanese-American. 5'10". I first heard about 5'7" Monty Towe in 1999 or so. But, it wasn't until WELL after 2010, that I found out that Monty Towe is White!
Nolan Richardson on Larry Bird - but he found out a lot faster.
As another Seattleite, 1961 vintage, it’s rare to find someone who was both a Sonic & a Blazer fan. Same w/ our Junior hockey teams. Whether it was the visiting Jail-Blazers going up against our Super Sonics or the Winterhawks coming to play on T-Bird ice, l can still hear the pre-PC refrain echoing throughout lower Queen Anne , emanating from the Coliseum,
“Portland sucks! Portland sucks!”.
Ah, but for the return of kinder, more innocent times.
Nobody read the sports section ? It takes 2 minutes.
I just now found out Monty towe was white. My dad talked about him when I was a kid.
@@maxwelltoste-ingram3066 When you think of a 5'7" NBA player, one thinks of a Spud Webb or athletic African-American guy. Not some clean cut White guy!
KWGN Denver (channel 2) used to run a promo and there was "THE" rebound and dunk. IIRC the ball comes off the back of the rim out toward the top of the key and he goes up and snags the rebound with one hand, almost back over his head and slams it down. The Nuggets were wearing white uniforms that game. Anyone know or have that one on tape?
One of my all time favorite players what a beast. I believe he took a quarter off the top of the backboard and left change that's what was said😅. It probably wasn't true but could he sky.
I'm glad 😊 that I got a chance to see this guy play. i even say the game in college when he got hurt 😢 thank 😊 🙏🏾 God he made it to the pros great 👍🏾 👌 🙌🏾 🙏🏾 👏🏽 💯 basketball 🏀 player. Will go down as one of the greatest players ever. 1love brother David Thompson. And always remember Almighty Jehovah God in your life 🙏🏾 ❤️. And his son Jesus Christ 💙 🙏🏾 and don't forget the angels that watched over us. 1love and peace ✌️ 😌 ✨️ 🙏🏾 💕 ❤️.
O"GOD"D"T" Was "SO" SPECIAL &GIFTED "BLESSING'S 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼"BLACKSTONE ELMONT N.Y
D.T. was not only a sky walker, but a Day Walker as well. Jordan can't compete with this guy.
Wow I never knew how David's career ended. Wow.
This is why I lough when someone says Russell Westbrook is the most athletic PG ever.
David was a SG, SF. But check out Kevin Johnson. He was a hell of an athlete at PG.
At the 6:26 mark the narrator talks about Raleigh, North Carolina while showing a shot of *Fayetteville*, North Carolina, my hometown. I know the Market House, the Wachovia building, and the Green Street post office when I see them! 🤦🏽♂️
Thompson had me jumping over cars and doing silent dunks, all net, without touching the rim!
Amazing how his eyes are at rim level at 6 4
The original skywalker super great NBA leaper
Michael Jordon not the greatest player ever as wilt Chamberlin is but I always heard of David Thompson but never new him or his game and now do plus I Wondered who MJ looked up to as a basketball player and this video answered many questions for me as I decided to take a break and mandarin and russian language learning! Thanks! To be a part of a team that beat a dynasty UCLA is memory for ever!
First high flyer my ass, before he got hurt Honeycomb Gus Johnson did it all, as well as numerous players in the 50s and 60s.
When I was in high school I was looking thru a Guinness book of words records when I saw record for verticle leap. It said David Thompson 47inches! He was playing for Denver at that time altho nuggets had joined NBA as well.
World records not word records.
What's the name of that song at 11.10.
The 'Great One
mr David ally-oop Thompson .....
Beautiful 😍
If memory serves me the violation North Carolina State was guilty of was paying for the paving of the road from the Thompson family home to the highway so don't discount that as to why Norm Sloan, who hated UNC and most especially Dean Smith who beat him like a drum, to blame Carolina for the NCAA becoming aware of NC State's violation in the matter. It was the fact of Sloan's hatred for Carolina as to why he left NC State to become the head coach of the University of Florida. Dean Smith won so much in the ACC that he was the impetus for a lot of ACC coaches leaving the ACC for other schools. I liked Thompson and pulled for NC State in 1974 on their quest to win the NCAA title. But you can be sure I was and will always be a Tar Heel fan whereas Phil Ford despite Michael Jordan will always be considered the prototype Carolina player. I am grateful to the then-UNC Assistant Coach Roy Williams for convincing Jordan and his family to have Michael attend school in Carolina. Ultimately it was David's addiction to drugs that diminished his career so he probably would have been Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan had he attended UNC and received the mentoring of Smith whose players never wanted to do anything that embarrassed the university or Smith because of how much they idolized him. Dean Smith was and will always be a basketball god in the state of North Carolina.
THE 197OS WAS THE DECADE FOR BASKETBALL PERIOD!
We used to call David Thompson, “Dr. Dunkenstein”, taken from the name Frankenstein.
Dr.Dunkenstein was actually Darrell Griffith who was label as the next david thompson , Darrell was high school player of the year in 1976 , mvp final 4 louisville beat Ucla too in 1980 .. Darrell was 5 years younger than david thompson and 5 years older than Air jordan .. Darrell was the rookie of the year in the nba in 1980 and average 21 pts a game fo his first 5 years before his prime ..
I attended Pocono Invitational Basketball Camp cannot remember the year David Thompson was there and I was selected to throw him an alley-oop I think Phil sellers from Rutgers was also there
David Thompson would be a top-five all-time player had it not been for drugs. He may also have been the greatest guard ever over Jordan.
My uncle went to highschool with David he told me that he couldn't stay away from the old hometown crowd which became his biggest down fall same thing happened to Kevin Mack another local athlete that just couldn't stay away from people who didn't want him to succeed.
C Howard
Michael Jordan would've still surpassed David Thompson.
Michael Jordan was destined to be the GOAT.
@@stoneloc8979 it was the suburban bums of Denver that had that coke.
David Thompson could jump sooo high in college basketball. They discriminated against him by taking dunking out of college basketball. When he went to pro they allowed dunking again.
I dated David's cousin. She introduce me to him. David seemed like a nice man then.
I love to see former Denver nuggets players. Thompson was good, go nuggets
Who was the team mate labeled "The Gunner" by Elgin Baylor at Seattle University in 1958?
BEST ACC PLAYER EVER!!!!!!!
Great player, great talent.
But wasn't Erving already playing above the rim.
They are talking like he was the first, but Doc graduated from college four years earlier, if I'm not very much mistaken.
Correct. However .... Still different styles. David had a lightening quick pull up jumper, was quicker off the floor than doc.
As Bobby Jones, who was a teammate to both of them said "David could jump higher than Julius. Julius was the glider." Erving could certainly sky as well, just that Thompson jumped probably a tad higher and definitely quicker.
That HEAD BANDAGE, tho.
42:04 My ex-wife, and father of my daughter, looks a lot like Brooke! Our daughter was born in 2013.
Man I forgot about David Thompson
Pure Basketball
His career stopped when he got hurt in Studio 54. He fell down the steps, blew his knee out. Did David do drugs? Yes but that’s not what ended his career. Nine years later he comes back in an NBA all his All-Star game. Has 23 points winning and blows his knee out again.
Yeah the reason the NCAA outlawed slam dunks back then was because of Lew Alcindor, later Kareem Jabbar
Jordan is his shadow. Look at the similarities in their game play style.
Am I the only one who thinks that David Thompson looks a lot like Tracy McGrady in the thumbnail??
11:44 Sent to the moon.
I was a Dr. J guy but Thompson was GREAT. ABA was a lot better than NBA.
MJ before MJ.
YOU CAN NOT ANYTHING BAD ABOUT DAVID][ HE WAS ONE ALL BUSINESS ON THE COURT IN COLLEGE AND THE PRO'S[2023]
I was born in Seattle in 1973, where I grew up. Sonics and Blazers fan. Japanese-American. I kid you not, it wasn't until after 2010, I did NOT know that Monty Towe is Caucasian!
FIRST high flyer? Connie Hawkins, maybe?
This is a beautiful story. I just abhor the title to get people to watch. David Thompson is a player that doesn't need Michael Jordan's approval to be viewed.
Don't hate on MJ
@@Hakeem990 MJ is my second to third favorite player. Much greater than your flop master LBJ in a watered down league.
@@grandmasterciphersupreme7751 I got no time for lebron great off court.
But MJ is the greatest
Too bad Kareem couldn’t get some comments on this video !
I truly admired David Thompson, but in truth, he wasn't the first Skywalker. Elgin Baylor, Connie Hawkins, and Julius Erving all came along before him.
They weren't 6' 4"
@@RogerPeet
You're right, but what's ironic is that Thompson was actually only about 6'2½".
All those other high flyers were generally tall tall dudes.
Baylor was 6'5"
Hawk was about 6'9"
& Julius was 6'7" on good days