num_pages: 250
description: Skywalker is the inspiring story of basketball legend David Thompson, chronicling his rise, fall and incredible recovery. Thompson, a once-in-a-generation player, came up in an era when basketball skill superseded athleticism. Thompson had both. In college, he led the 1973-74 North Carolina State Wolfpack to its first NCAA title, and a year later, he was the No. 1 draft pick in both the NBA and ABA. When the two leagues merged, Thompson signed the largest contract in NBA history in 1978. But Thompson disappeared just as rapidly as he had arrived when cocaine and alcohol abuse robbed him of his skills and his composure, his life and his soul. By the early 1980s, Thompson's life had hit rock bottom, and his career was over. In 1996, Thompson was elected to the NBA Hall of Fame and has been named numerous times as one of the five greatest college players of all-time. Today, he is a born-again Christian and been clean and sober for more than 15 years.
language: English
title: David Thompson: Skywalker
titlecomplete: David Thompson: Skywalker
genres: Basketball
ratings_count: 24
publisher: Sports Publishing LLC