CORNY THOMPSON - 101 Greats of European Basketball

Corny
Thompson
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A big man
like
a playmaker
In the history of the EuroLeague, from 1958 to
today, very few title games were decided with a
shot or play in the final moments. Among the few
players who won a game that way is Cornelius
Allen Thompson, an American big man who spent
most of his career in Italy (Varese) and Spain
(Joventut and Leon). His happiest day probably was
April 21, 1994. In the EuroLeague title game that day,
Thompson nailed a three-pointer to give Joventut
Badalona the trophy against Olympiacos by the final
score of 59-57. Thompson’s three-pointer was not
the last shot of the game, but it was the final basket
and therefore, it was decisive.
When Corny Thompson, who was born on February
5, 1960, in Middletown, Connecticut, scored the last
three of his 17 points that night, there were still 18
seconds to go, which is a lot of time in such a dynamic
game like basketball. However, Zarko Paspalj missed 2
free throws that could have tied the game and the Reds
then missed two more shots on a play that, because
of error at the officials’ table, lasted longer than it was
supposed to, especially for Joventut fans. However,
before and after that shot, many things happened for
Corny.
With a little over 2 minutes to go, Olympiacos was
winning 57-53. Jordi Villacampa’s three gave Joventut
some hope. Panagiotis Fasoulas then missed his
shot for the Reds and that gave the Spanish team a
new chance. Ferran Martinez missed the shot but the
offensive rebound by Villacampa gave the Badalona
possession again. And when Martinez missed again,
Mike Smith pulled down another offensive board.
Eventually, the ball reached Corny’s hands. He was
guarded by Roy Tarpley, a 2.11-meter big man who
was late getting out to challenge Thompson. Corny
was alone behind the arc and he didn’t miss. With 18
seconds to go, Joventut was ahead 59-57. With 4.8
seconds to go, Smith fouled Paspalj. The Montenegrin
player missed the first attempt and then he did
the same with the second, on purpose. With some
help from the table that cannot be understood, the
Greek team had time for two more shots that never
went in. It was the first European title for a Catalan
team.
Explosion in Varese
Corny Thompson always stood out as a player, since
his start as a kid until his retirement at 36 years old. At
14 he was 1.95 meters tall and had great potential for
rebounds, something that would become a trademark
in his career. He led Middletown High School to three
state championships. Several universities were interested
in him, even North Carolina, whose coach, the
famous Dean Smith, traveled all the way to Middletown
to see the kid that made the all-American high school
team in 1978.
Corny chose the Connecticut Huskies, especially because
he wanted to be close to home. Until Thompson
arrived, the UConn team was a mediocre one, but with
him, the program gained status. Four years later, Corny
would leave college with several records under his arm.
He is still ranked in the school’s top 10 players ever in
101 greats of european basketball
Corny Thompson
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Vladimir Stankovic
free throws attempted (496), scoring (1,810 points) and
rebounds (1,017).
Thompson’s next logical step was the NBA, but as
in many other cases, he landed on the wrong team at
the wrong time. He was selected by Dallas in the third
round of the 1980 draft, but the team already had Mark
Aguirre, Rolando Blackman, Pat Cummings and Brad
Davis. Thompson didn’t earn the trust of coach Dick
Motta and after barely 20 games, with an average of
3 points, he had to look for options outside Dallas. He
played one year in the CBA with the Detroit Spirits,
where his 15 points and 10 rebounds opened European
doors for him.
The best decision for Corny Thompson was signing
with Varese, a team with a name, tradition and great
players in the past. Between 1984 and 1990 Corny
spent six years in Varese. He played 211 games and
scored 4,704 points (22.3 ppg) while shooting 58% on
two-pointers and 42% on threes. That’s not to mention
his 9.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. His best
scoring average was 24.7 points in 1986-87. His personal
highs were 39 points against Tracer Milano and
22 rebounds against Desio, both in 1987.
However, something was missing: titles. Varese was
not as strong as it used to be. It reached the finals, but
the titles slipped away. In his first European final, the
Korac Cup against Milano on March 21, 1985, in Brussels,
Varese lost 91-78 with only 8 points by Corny. Russ
Schoene was unstoppable for Milano with 33 points. In
the Italian League, Varese lost the final series in 1989-
90 against Scavolini, coached by a young Sergio Scariolo.
Despite his 27 points and 13 rebounds in the third
game and 26 plus 15 in the fourth, Thompson could
not help Varese claim the title. That made him want to
switch teams in order to win trophies.
Badalona, the perfect destination
Corny’s decision to leave Varese coincided with the
construction of a great team at Joventut. Coached by
Real Madrid legend Lolo Sainz, that team had a strong
core of Spanish players, with Jordi Villacampa, Rafa
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Jofresa, Tomas Jofresa and Ferran Martinez. The club
had also signed an excellent American, Harold Pressley,
an NCAA champ with Villanova who also brought good
numbers from the NBA. With the Sacramento Kings, he
had played 299 games in four seasons, averaging 12.3
points and 6.1 rebounds. There was another spot for
a foreigner on the team and Joventut set its eyes on
Thompson, marking the birth of one of the best duos of
American players ever in the Spanish League.
Corny Thompson
101 greats of european basketball
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