Former N.C. State basketball star David Thompson _ who may have had the greatest college career in ACC hoops history _ has long been associated with double numbers.
Thompson wore the number 44 with the Wolfpack while leading the 1974 N.C. State team to the national championship. For most of his ABA and NBA career, Thompson wore 33.
Another double number is about to come up for the longtime Charlotte resident nicknamed "Skywalker." Thompson's birthday is Monday. He will be 66.
Thompson "was Michael Jordan before there was a Michael Jordan," as coach Larry Brown once put it. Thompson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996, then was Jordan's surprise presenter in 2009 when Jordan entered the hall.
In our exclusive interview this week, Thompson and I talked about his starry career with the Wolfpack, the occasional racism he experienced growing up in rural North Carolina, how his pro career was undone by twin addictions and whether he can still dunk a basketball. This Q&A has been edited for clarity and brevity.
