101 Greats of European Basketball

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
T