LaSalle Thompson
From Hoopedia
| No. 41 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Center / Power forward | ||
| Personal information | ||
| Date of birth: June 23, 1961 | ||
| Place of birth: Cincinnati, Ohio | ||
| Height: 6 ft 10 in | Weight: 245 lbs | |
| Debut | ||
| 1982 for the Kansas City Kings | ||
| Last played | ||
| 1997 for the Indiana Pacers | ||
| Career information | ||
| College: Texas | ||
| NBA Draft: 1982; Round: 1 / Pick: 5th | ||
| Selected by the Kansas City Kings | ||
| Career history | ||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||
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| LaSalle Thompson at NBA.com | ||
| Stats at basketball-reference.com | ||
LaSalle Thompson III (born June 23, 1961 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American former professional basketball player, who spent most of his 15-year career with the Kansas City/Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers. The 6'10", 245-pound Thompson spent time at both the center and power forward positions.
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 go unchallenged 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 1989-90, 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 1992-93 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 Pacers team that stunned the world by advancing to their first Eastern Conference Finals series in 1993-94.
After the 1994-95 season, Thompson signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, playing there for a year before going to the Denver Nuggets. Ultimately he ended his career with nine more games in a Pacers uniform, as he was involved in the trade-deadline deal that also brought Mark Jackson back to Indiana.
Post-NBA career
Thompson served a stint as general manager and head coach of the San Diego Wildfire in the American Basketball Association in the 2000-01 season. He has operated his own businesses, TNT Motorsports, a car and truck customizing business, and a land development firm.
Currently, he is Assistant Coach to Larry Brown, head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats.
