CORNY THOMPSON - 101 Greats of European Basketball
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Corny<br />
Thompson<br />
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A big man<br />
like<br />
a playmaker<br />
In the history <strong>of</strong> the EuroLeague, from 1958 to<br />
today, very few title games were decided with a<br />
shot or play in the final moments. Among the few<br />
players who won a game that way is Cornelius<br />
Allen Thompson, an American big man who spent<br />
most <strong>of</strong> his career in Italy (Varese) and Spain<br />
(Joventut and Leon). His happiest day probably was<br />
April 21, 1994. In the EuroLeague title game that day,<br />
Thompson nailed a three-pointer to give Joventut<br />
Badalona the trophy against Olympiacos by the final<br />
score <strong>of</strong> 59-57. Thompson’s three-pointer was not<br />
the last shot <strong>of</strong> the game, but it was the final basket<br />
and therefore, it was decisive.<br />
When Corny Thompson, who was born on February<br />
5, 1960, in Middletown, Connecticut, scored the last<br />
three <strong>of</strong> his 17 points that night, there were still 18<br />
seconds to go, which is a lot <strong>of</strong> time in such a dynamic<br />
game like basketball. However, Zarko Paspalj missed 2<br />
free throws that could have tied the game and the Reds<br />
then missed two more shots on a play that, because<br />
<strong>of</strong> error at the <strong>of</strong>ficials’ table, lasted longer than it was<br />
supposed to, especially for Joventut fans. However,<br />
before and after that shot, many things happened for<br />
Corny.<br />
With a little over 2 minutes to go, Olympiacos was<br />
winning 57-53. Jordi Villacampa’s three gave Joventut<br />
some hope. Panagiotis Fasoulas then missed his<br />
shot for the Reds and that gave the Spanish team a<br />
new chance. Ferran Martinez missed the shot but the<br />
<strong>of</strong>fensive rebound by Villacampa gave the Badalona<br />
possession again. And when Martinez missed again,<br />
Mike Smith pulled down another <strong>of</strong>fensive board.<br />
Eventually, the ball reached Corny’s hands. He was<br />
guarded by Roy Tarpley, a 2.11-meter big man who<br />
was late getting out to challenge Thompson. Corny<br />
was alone behind the arc and he didn’t miss. With 18<br />
seconds to go, Joventut was ahead 59-57. With 4.8<br />
seconds to go, Smith fouled Paspalj. The Montenegrin<br />
player missed the first attempt and then he did<br />
the same with the second, on purpose. With some<br />
help from the table that cannot be understood, the<br />
Greek team had time for two more shots that never<br />
went in. It was the first <strong>European</strong> title for a Catalan<br />
team.<br />
Explosion in Varese<br />
Corny Thompson always stood out as a player, since<br />
his start as a kid until his retirement at 36 years old. At<br />
14 he was 1.95 meters tall and had great potential for<br />
rebounds, something that would become a trademark<br />
in his career. He led Middletown High School to three<br />
state championships. Several universities were interested<br />
in him, even North Carolina, whose coach, the<br />
famous Dean Smith, traveled all the way to Middletown<br />
to see the kid that made the all-American high school<br />
team in 1978.<br />
Corny chose the Connecticut Huskies, especially because<br />
he wanted to be close to home. Until Thompson<br />
arrived, the UConn team was a mediocre one, but with<br />
him, the program gained status. Four years later, Corny<br />
would leave college with several records under his arm.<br />
He is still ranked in the school’s top 10 players ever in<br />
<strong>101</strong> greats <strong>of</strong> european basketball<br />
Corny Thompson<br />
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Vladimir Stankovic<br />
free throws attempted (496), scoring (1,810 points) and<br />
rebounds (1,017).<br />
Thompson’s next logical step was the NBA, but as<br />
in many other cases, he landed on the wrong team at<br />
the wrong time. He was selected by Dallas in the third<br />
round <strong>of</strong> the 1980 draft, but the team already had Mark<br />
Aguirre, Rolando Blackman, Pat Cummings and Brad<br />
Davis. Thompson didn’t earn the trust <strong>of</strong> coach Dick<br />
Motta and after barely 20 games, with an average <strong>of</strong><br />
3 points, he had to look for options outside Dallas. He<br />
played one year in the CBA with the Detroit Spirits,<br />
where his 15 points and 10 rebounds opened <strong>European</strong><br />
doors for him.<br />
The best decision for Corny Thompson was signing<br />
with Varese, a team with a name, tradition and great<br />
players in the past. Between 1984 and 1990 Corny<br />
spent six years in Varese. He played 211 games and<br />
scored 4,704 points (22.3 ppg) while shooting 58% on<br />
two-pointers and 42% on threes. That’s not to mention<br />
his 9.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. His best<br />
scoring average was 24.7 points in 1986-87. His personal<br />
highs were 39 points against Tracer Milano and<br />
22 rebounds against Desio, both in 1987.<br />
However, something was missing: titles. Varese was<br />
not as strong as it used to be. It reached the finals, but<br />
the titles slipped away. In his first <strong>European</strong> final, the<br />
Korac Cup against Milano on March 21, 1985, in Brussels,<br />
Varese lost 91-78 with only 8 points by Corny. Russ<br />
Schoene was unstoppable for Milano with 33 points. In<br />
the Italian League, Varese lost the final series in 1989-<br />
90 against Scavolini, coached by a young Sergio Scariolo.<br />
Despite his 27 points and 13 rebounds in the third<br />
game and 26 plus 15 in the fourth, Thompson could<br />
not help Varese claim the title. That made him want to<br />
switch teams in order to win trophies.<br />
Badalona, the perfect destination<br />
Corny’s decision to leave Varese coincided with the<br />
construction <strong>of</strong> a great team at Joventut. Coached by<br />
Real Madrid legend Lolo Sainz, that team had a strong<br />
core <strong>of</strong> Spanish players, with Jordi Villacampa, Rafa<br />
364<br />
365
J<strong>of</strong>resa, Tomas J<strong>of</strong>resa and Ferran Martinez. The club<br />
had also signed an excellent American, Harold Pressley,<br />
an NCAA champ with Villanova who also brought good<br />
numbers from the NBA. With the Sacramento Kings, he<br />
had played 299 games in four seasons, averaging 12.3<br />
points and 6.1 rebounds. There was another spot for<br />
a foreigner on the team and Joventut set its eyes on<br />
Thompson, marking the birth <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> the best duos <strong>of</strong><br />
American players ever in the Spanish League.<br />
Corny Thompson<br />
<strong>101</strong> greats <strong>of</strong> european basketball<br />
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