| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1963-12-01)December 1, 1963 (age 61) Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Camden (Camden, New Jersey) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Louisville (1982–1986) | ||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 1986: 1st round, 19th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | Atlanta Hawks | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1986–1998 | ||||||||||||||
| Position | Small forward | ||||||||||||||
| Number | 55 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 1986–1988 | Los Angeles Lakers | ||||||||||||||
| 1988–1991 | Miami Heat | ||||||||||||||
| 1992 | Golden State Warriors | ||||||||||||||
| 1993–1994 | Rapid City Thrillers | ||||||||||||||
| 1994 | San Miguel Beermen | ||||||||||||||
| 1994 | Fenerbahçe | ||||||||||||||
| 1994–1997 | Hapoel Jerusalem | ||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Peñarol de Mar del Plata | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Career NBA statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Points | 2,566 (8.6 ppg) | ||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 1,615 (5.4 rpg) | ||||||||||||||
Stats at NBA.com  | |||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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William Stansbury Thompson (born December 1, 1963) is an American former professionalbasketball player who played in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) and other leagues. He spent a 5-year career with theLos Angeles Lakers andMiami Heat, and registered one minute of court time with theGolden State Warriors in late 1991.
Thompson played basketball atCamden High School in New Jersey, where he was a two-time high school All-American.[1] During his time with the team, Camden took the group IV state championship in 1982. Thompson was considered the number one high school prospect in the land. He elected to play college basketball forDenny Crum at theUniversity of Louisville. His team reached the semi-finals of the national championship his freshman year, where they lost to theUniversity of Houston. In his junior year he led the Cardinals in scoring, rebounding and assists.[2] His senior season the Cardinals won the 1986 NCAA national championship.[2]
In the1986 NBA draft he was selected 19th overall by theAtlanta Hawks. In a draft-day trade he was sent to theLos Angeles Lakers. He was a reserve on the Lakers teams that won back-to-back NBA championships in1986–87 and1987–88. He is one of only five players to have won an NCAA championship and an NBA championship in back-to-back seasons, the other four beingBill Russell (University of San Francisco 1956,Boston Celtics 1957),Henry Bibby (UCLA 1972,New York Knicks 1973),Earvin Johnson (Michigan State 1979,Los Angeles Lakers 1980), andChristian Braun (Kansas 2022,Denver Nuggets 2023).[3]
After an injury-riddled sophomore season with the Lakers,[2] he was then left unprotected in the 1988 NBAexpansion draft and was selected by theMiami Heat, where he was a starter for the Heat's inaugural game and averaged 10.8 points per game in Miami's expansion season. As a part-time starter in 1989–90, Thompson averaged 11 points per game. He also appeared in the 1990NBA Slam Dunk Contest, where he finished seventh out of eight participants.
Thompson played for theRapid City Thrillers of theContinental Basketball Association (CBA) during the 1993–94 season.[4] He was selected to the All-CBA Second Team.[4]
In 1994 Thompson went to play professional basketball inTurkey forFenerbahçe. He then played inIsrael forHapoel Jerusalem from 1994 to 1997. Along with Israeli starAdi Gordon, Thompson led Hapoel to twoState Cup titles for the first time in Israeli history, defeating Israeli and European powerhouseMaccabi Tel Aviv both times. Thompson is one of the most favored foreign basketball players ever to play in Israel.
Thompson is a born-again Christian and presently pastors Jesus People Proclaim International Church inDeerfield Beach, Florida with his wife, Cynthia. They have 5 children and 7 grandchildren, as well as 2 great-grandchildren.[2]
