Dijon Lynn Thompson (born February 23, 1983) is an American former professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player who played briefly in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
(NBA). While he played mainly at the
shooting guard position in his early career, he also played as a
small forward
The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers but taller, larger, and stronger ...
during his European years.
College
Thompson was a standout at the
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California S ...
(UCLA), having an all-time scoring average of 15.6 points per game including 18.4 as a junior. He scored a career-high 39 points against
Arizona State
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
on February 10, 2005.
Thompson declared for the
NBA draft after the conclusion of his junior year, but withdrew to return for his senior season. That year he led the Bruins to the
NCAA Tournament after a two-year absence.
NBA
Thompson was chosen by the
New York Knicks in the second round of the
2005 NBA draft
The 2005 NBA draft took place on June 28, 2005, in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players fr ...
(54th pick overall). Soon afterward he was traded along with
forward-center
Forward–center or bigman is a basketball position for players who play or have played both forward and center on a consistent basis. Typically, this means power forward and center, since these are usually the two biggest player positions on ...
Kurt Thomas to the
Phoenix Suns, in exchange for guard
Quentin Richardson
Quentin Lamar Richardson (born April 13, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who was formerly the director of player development for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Q-Rich", he p ...
, the draft rights to guard
Nate Robinson
Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson (born May 31, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. Born in Seattle, Robinson played college basketball for the University of Washington in Seattle and was the 21st pick in the 2005 NBA draft. ...
and cash considerations.
On November 4, 2005 the Suns assigned him to the
Albuquerque Thunderbirds
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
of the
NBA D-League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA Dev ...
where he averaged 17.7 points and 7.7 rebounds in three games. The Suns made him the first player of the season recalled from the D-League on November 26, after
Leandro Barbosa
Leandro Mateus Barbosa (; born November 28, 1982), also known as Leandrinho Barbosa, is a Brazilian former professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also rep ...
suffered a knee injury.
On March 10, 2006, Thompson underwent
microfracture surgery
Fracture mechanics is the field of mechanics concerned with the study of the propagation of cracks in materials. It uses methods of analytical solid mechanics to calculate the driving force on a crack and those of experimental solid mechanics t ...
on his right
knee, causing him to sit out the rest of
the season. By June 23, it was announced that the Suns were not picking up Thompson's player-option for his second season making him a free-agent.
On October 2, 2006, the Golden State Warriors invited Thompson to their training camp, however, he was cut by the team just a week later on October 11.
On November 27, 2006, Thompson was reacquired by the Albuquerque Thunderbirds and made an immediate impact by averaging 20.8 points and 9.8 rebounds during his first five games. On December 11, Thompson was named the D-League Performer of the Week.
On January 6, 2007, Thompson was signed to a 10-day contract by the
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...
while forward
Josh Smith
Joshua Smith (born December 5, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Entering the NBA straight out of high school, Smith played nine seasons with the Atlant ...
recovered from a
hernia
A hernia is the abnormal exit of tissue or an organ, such as the bowel, through the wall of the cavity in which it normally resides. Various types of hernias can occur, most commonly involving the abdomen, and specifically the groin. Groin herni ...
operation. The Hawks renewed for a second 10-day contract, on January 16, with Thompson averaging 2.8 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 8.3 minutes in six games. Upon his return to the D-League, Thompson scored 14 points in the 2007 NBA D-League All-Star Game in
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
on February 19, 2007. He finished the year leading the Thunderbirds franchise to a playoff berth, though, they lost in the first round.
Thompson was named All-NBA Development League Honorable Mention Team for the 2006-07 season.
European career
On July 27, 2007, Thompson signed a one-year contract with
Alba Berlin. ALBA and Thompson agreed to part ways in May 2008.
On June 10, 2008, Thompson signed a contract with
Azovmash Mariupol
MBK Mariupol ( uk, МБК «Маріуполь»") (former name: BK Azovmash)is a Ukrainian professional basketball club. It was founded in 1990 in the city of Mariupol in South-Eastern Ukraine.
Mariupol was one of the strongest teams in Ukraine ...
.
On September 4, 2009, Thompson signed a 2-year contract with
Hapoel Jerusalem
Hapoel Jerusalem is a sport organization in Jerusalem as a local branch of the Hapoel movement. The branch was established in the 1920s and represents the city in more sports than any other sport organization in Jerusalem. Today, the club's leadi ...
.
He played the 2010-11 season for
Spartak Saint Petersburg
BC Spartak Saint Petersburg is a Russian professional basketball team that is based in Saint Petersburg, Russia. During the 2016–17 season, the club was named BC Kondrashin Belov (BCKB), after its former player Alexander Belov and its former head ...
in the
Russian Professional Basketball League
The Professional Basketball League (russian: Профессиональная баскетбольная лига (ПБЛ), Professionalʼnaya basketbolʼnaya liga), often abbreviated to the PBL, was the pre-eminent men's professional basketball l ...
.
In July 2011 he signed a one-year contract with
ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne
ASVEL Basket, commonly known as ASVEL or sometimes as ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, and also known as LDLC ASVEL for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional basketball team that is located in the city of Villeurbanne, which is a suburb of Lyon ...
in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
.
In September 2012, he signed with
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət ), colloquially shortened to Nizhny, from the 13th to the 17th century Novgorod of the Lower Land, formerly known as Gork ...
of the
Russian Professional Basketball League
The Professional Basketball League (russian: Профессиональная баскетбольная лига (ПБЛ), Professionalʼnaya basketbolʼnaya liga), often abbreviated to the PBL, was the pre-eminent men's professional basketball l ...
. He was named to the
All-EuroCup First Team in 2014.
On February 17, 2015, Thompson signed a half-year contract with
Hapoel Tel Aviv.
On June 22, 2016, Thompson signed a one-year contract with
AEL Larnaca in Cyprus.
ΠΕΤΡΟΛΙΝΑ ΑΕΚ: ΥΠΕΓΡΑΨΕ Ο DIJON THOMPSON
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References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Dijon
1983 births
Living people
21st-century African-American sportspeople
AEK Larnaca B.C. players
African-American basketball players
Alba Berlin players
Albuquerque Thunderbirds players
American expatriate basketball people in Argentina
American expatriate basketball people in Cyprus
American expatriate basketball people in France
American expatriate basketball people in Germany
American expatriate basketball people in Israel
American expatriate basketball people in Japan
American expatriate basketball people in Lithuania
American expatriate basketball people in Russia
American expatriate basketball people in Ukraine
American expatriate basketball people in Vietnam
American men's basketball players
ASVEL Basket players
Atlanta Hawks players
Basketball players from Los Angeles
BC Azovmash players
BC Nizhny Novgorod players
BC Spartak Saint Petersburg players
Big3 players
Ferro Carril Oeste basketball players
Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. players
Israeli Basketball Premier League players
Levanga Hokkaido players
New York Knicks draft picks
Phoenix Suns players
Saigon Heat players
Shooting guards
Small forwards
UCLA Bruins men's basketball players
20th-century African-American people
American men's 3x3 basketball players