David Thompson (basketball)
A gravity-defying pioneer whose aerial artistry above the rim inspired a generation of high-flyers, including a young Michael Jordan.
Born 1953 (age 73)·American basketball player·Birthday: July 13·Baby Boomers
Biography
Before 'Air Jordan,' there was David 'Skywalker' Thompson, a player whose vertical leap and in-flight creativity seemed to rewrite the laws of physics. At North Carolina State, his 1974 NCAA championship-winning team, which ended UCLA's seven-year reign, is still considered one of the greatest college squads ever. Turning professional, he became the ABA's final MVP and a human highlight reel for the Denver Nuggets, playing with a thrilling blend of finesse and power. His 73-point game on the final day of the 1978 season is a scoring masterpiece often overshadowed by Wilt Chamberlain's 100. Thompson's style—the hang time, the dunks, the acrobatic finishes—directly influenced the showmanship that would define the NBA's future. His prime was tragically shortened, but his impact is indelible; he was the bridge between the ground-bound game of the past and the aerial circus that followed.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
David was born in 1953, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1953
#1 Movie
Peter Pan
Best Picture
From Here to Eternity
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1953Born
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1958Started school
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1966Became a teenager
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Could drive
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1971Could vote
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Turned 21
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1983Turned 30
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 40
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 50
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 60
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 70
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 73 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led North Carolina State to the 1974 NCAA championship, defeating the undefeated UCLA Bruins in the semifinals.
- Scored 73 points in a single NBA game for the Denver Nuggets on April 9, 1978, the fourth-highest total in league history.
- Named the Most Valuable Player of the final American Basketball Association (ABA) season in 1976.
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996.
Did You Know?
Michael Jordan has cited Thompson as his favorite player growing up and the inspiration for his own high-flying style.
His vertical leap was measured at an extraordinary 44 inches.
He was the first player ever drafted by both the NBA (Atlanta Hawks) and the ABA (Virginia Squires) after the leagues merged their drafts.
The Denver Nuggets retired his jersey number 33.
“I played above the rim when most guys were playing below it.”
