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 Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player who played briefly in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA). While he played mainly at the
shooting guard
The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game ...
position in his early career, he also played as a
small forward
The small forward (SF), also known as the three, is one of the five Basketball position, positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than Power forward (basketball), power forwards and Cent ...
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 university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...
(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 on February 10, 2005.
Thompson declared for the
NBA draft
The NBA draft is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) annual event, dating back to 1947 BAA draft, 1947, in which the teams in the league can Draft (sports), draft players who declare for the draft and that are Eligibility for the NBA dr ...
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
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
in the second round of the
2005 NBA draft
The 2005 NBA draft took place on June 28, 2005, in the Theater 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 fro ...
(54th pick overall). Soon afterward he was traded along with
forward-center
Forward–center is a basketball basketball positions, position for players who play or have played both Basketball positions#Frontcourt (forwards and center), forward and center (basketball), center on a consistent basis. Typically, this means ...
Kurt Thomas to the
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
, in exchange for guard
Quentin Richardson, 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 of the
NBA D-League 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 suffered a knee injury.
On March 10, 2006, Thompson underwent
microfracture surgery on his right
knee
In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...
, 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 Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...
while forward
Josh Smith recovered from a
hernia
A hernia (: hernias or herniae, from Latin, meaning 'rupture') is the abnormal exit of tissue or an organ (anatomy), organ, such as the bowel, through the wall of the cavity in which it normally resides. The term is also used for the normal Devel ...
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, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
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 Berlin is a professional basketball club that is based in Berlin, Germany. The club was founded in 1991, and is today the largest German national basketball club by membership figures. Alba Berlin hosts its home games at the Uber Arena and c ...
. ALBA and Thompson agreed to part ways in May 2008.
On June 10, 2008, Thompson signed a contract with
Azovmash Mariupol.
On September 4, 2009, Thompson signed a 2-year contract with
Hapoel Jerusalem.
He played the 2010–11 season for
Spartak Saint Petersburg in the
Russian Professional Basketball League
The Professional Basketball League (), often abbreviated to the RPBL, was the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Russia, and the successor to the Russian Basketball Super League 1, Russian Super League 1, which is now the second- ...
.
In July 2011 he signed a one-year contract with
ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
In September 2012, he signed with
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət, t=Lower Newtown; colloquially shortened to Nizhny) is a city and the administrative centre of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast an ...
of the
Russian Professional Basketball League
The Professional Basketball League (), often abbreviated to the RPBL, was the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Russia, and the successor to the Russian Basketball Super League 1, Russian Super League 1, which is now the second- ...
. 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.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Dijon
1983 births
Living people
21st-century African-American sportsmen
AEK Larnaca B.C. 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 sportsmen
American men's 3x3 basketball players
Redondo Union High School alumni