From Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports:
Michael Jordan had his pick. Dean Smith. Phil Jackson. Maybe even his good friend Charles Barkley.
Each would have been an understandable choice to present Jordan during his induction Friday into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith was Jordan’s legendary coach at North Carolina. Jackson helped guide Jordan to six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls. Barkley shared the role of rival and running buddy.
Jordan passed on all of them. Instead, he chose someone who had never coached him or played with or against him.
He chose David Thompson. The former NBA high-flyer who had starred at North Carolina … State.
The Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony is Friday at 6:30, and it will be televised by ESPN and NBAtv. The other inductees in this year’s class are John Stockton, David Robinson and Jerry Sloan. | NBA.com
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DT: “I got a call from the Hall of Fame and they asked me if I was willing to be a presenter for someone,” Thompson recently told Yahoo! Sports. “I said, ‘Yeah.’ I didn’t know who it was. … They said Michael Jordan. I was like, ‘Wow.’ He told them that he was a big fan of mine and I was the one that really inspired him. Being that there was so many North Carolina people he could’ve chose, I was honored."
To Jordan, Thompson’s college ties didn’t matter as much as his game. Before Jordan became Air Jordan, David Thompson owned the skies.
To Jordan, Thompson’s college ties didn’t matter as much as his game. Before Jordan became Air Jordan, David Thompson owned the skies.
DT grew up a Carolina fan. Jordan grew up a State fan. Cats and dogs living together.
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