Denver Nuggets: David Thompson, the O.G. high flyer
By Mathew Huff
The Denver Nuggets had one of the original high flyers of the NBA.
Of course, I am talking about the one and only David Thompson. Thompson was not just one of the first high flyers in NBA history, he was only one of the first true super stars the Nuggets possessed.
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When one thinks of a high flyer, many NBA fans tend to think of guys like Dwyane Wade, a prime Kobe Bryant and even Julius Erving. As a matter of fact, David Thompson and Julius Erving went head to head against each other in an ABA Finals and Thompson had 42 points in the game clincher Erving’s 76ers team won in Game six.
How explosive was David Thompson you ask? He was extremely explosive, especially for his time. Thompson was an acrobat just like Erving and was one of the first big time dunkers in the NBA.
Per basketball reference, Thompson averaged above 20 points per game for the first six years the Nuggets were a part of the NBA. His best scoring season came in 1977-78 when he averaged 27.2 points per game.
In the 1976-77 season, he actually showed flashes of defensive potential when he had a defensive rating of 99. Anytime you can get a defensive rating below 100, you are doing something right on that end of the floor.
For his career, Thompson also finished with a win share total of 63.3. Thompson is one of the most underrated stars in NBA history, but is beloved by the Denver Nuggets’ fan base. It is a shame his life was cut short. This is one of the biggest “what could of been,” stories in NBA history.
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David Thompson was one of the “O.G.’s,” of the NBA and the ABA. It is important to remember how talented Thompson was as a player and that he was one of the first true high flyers.