Playing Career
Nicknamed "Tank", Thompson finished his career at Texas as the school's all-time leader in rebounds with 1,027, despite the fact he played only three years. The record would stand for 21 years until it was broken by James Thomas in 2004.
Thompson was drafted by the Kings with the fifth overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft, making him the highest Texas player taken until LaMarcus Aldridge was selected second overall in 2006. In 1989-1990, he averaging 13.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while spending a half-season in Sacramento and the other half in Indiana.
A regular starter for most of the first part of his career, in 1992-1993 Thompson moved to a role as the tough-nosed veteran off the bench, as Rik Smits and Dale Davis started every game in which they played. Thompson was a key reserve on the first Pacers team to reach the Eastern Conference Finals series, in 1993-1994.
After the 1994-1995 season, Thompson signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, playing there for a year before going to the Denver Nuggets. He ended his career with nine more games in a Pacers uniform, following the trade-deadline deal that also brought Mark Jackson back to Indiana.
Read more about this topic: La Salle Thompson
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