Thompson was a star player for the Denver Nuggets of both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and American Basketball Association (ABA), as well as the Seattle SuperSonics. He led North Carolina State University to an NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship in 1974. He was named the Naismith College Player of the Year in 1975. His nickname was "Skywalker" because of his incredible 48-inch vertical leap.

Thompson reached the pinnacle of his professional basketball career when he scored a career-high 73 points against Detroit on April 9th, 1978. As a measure of his over-all play, he was selected as an NBA All-Star in four seasons. 

Thompson now devotes his time to working with young basketball players, helping them to aspire to his achievements and avoid mistakes. Thompson was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player on May 6, 1996.