SKYWALKER STATUE UNVEILED IN NORTH CAROLINA
Hall of Fame basketball star David Thompson honored at his alma mater NC State University
DAVID THOMPSON’S SKYWALKER STATUE OUTSIDE OF REYNOLDS AUDITORIUM
Today at Raleigh, North Carolina, on the campus of NC State University, a statue was unveiled of David ‘Skywalker’ Thompson. Fifty years ago next spring he led the school to the National Collegiate College Association basketball championship, ending the seven year reign of UCLA, won back to back college basketball player of the year titles, and inspiring a youngster growing up in NC named Michael Jordan. Thompson would go onto stardom in the ABA and NBA with the Denver Nuggets before his career was derailed by drug addiction. Thompson eventually overcame his demons and went back to NC State and earned his degree in sociolology.
Thompson went to a newly integrated high school and was part of the first generation of black athletes to be recruited by white schools in the South. His statue, may be, the first of an African-American at a white institution in the state (I need to do more research to verify this.) I’m directing a documentary about his career and life, so it was quite momentous for the project to be in a chilly Raleigh to day to capture this event. In the background is Reynolds Auditorium, where he perfected the alley oop play that was his trademark and is depicted in the statue. The doc is a few years away, but today’s unveiling will undoubtedly be a highlight of the film.
DAVID THOMPSON AND HIS STATUE