“He was a comet that came through our universe.”
Former Wolfpack basketball great David Thompson is officially immortalized in front of Reynolds Coliseum. NC State unveiled a statue in his honor earlier today.
#Skywalker seeing his 44” vertical leap immortalized for the first time.
Today, we unveiled a new statue honoring @PackMensBball legend David Thompson outside of Reynolds Coliseum. pic.twitter.com/7g9mzE9sGi
— NC State University (@NCState) December 6, 2023
The base is 44 inches tall, because obviously. The pose shows Thompson at the apex of his leap, ready to drop in an alley-oop, a play he made famous because he could jump forever and also because dunks were illegal. Here’s a better look, via the State hoops Twitter.
It remains one of the nation’s great sports crimes that David Thompson was not allowed to dunk in college. Somebody should have taken one look at him in his first game and said “we have got to change that rule immediately.”
NC State also released a video celebrating DT’s career, with comments from Len Elmore and Bill Walton—two great players in their own right who had the misfortune of being in his way.
A legacy like no other #Skywalker | #GoPack pic.twitter.com/wgChvoiJnT
— NC State Men’s Basketball (@PackMensBball) December 6, 2023
Good stuff all around. Congrats, DT!