Jason Thompson (basketball) life and biography

Jason Thompson is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the NBA. He was the starting center of the Rider University men's basketball team until 2008. He was selected 12th overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Selected by Sacramento as a senior out of Rider with the 12th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft … Signed a multi-year contract with the Kings (7/8/08) … Twelfth player in franchise history to don number 34 (last was Corliss Williamson) … Is the third Kings player in the last 12 NBA Drafts to be selected as a senior (others – Dan Dickau in 2002 & Brian Grant in 1994) … Only the second Rider player ever drafted by the NBA, joining Greg Cisson (10th round by Philadelphia in the 1968 NBA Draft) and just the second athlete from the school tabbed in the first round of any professional draft (other was Jeff Kunkel, picked third overall by Texas in the 1983 MLB draft)

2009-10 :

Averaged 12.5 ppg (.472 FG%, 1-10 3pt, .715 FT%), a team-leading 8.5 rpg, 1.7 apg, 0.97 bpg, and 31.4 mpg in 75 games (started 58) … As a starter, posted 13.0 ppg (.473 FG%, .111 3pt%, .724 FT%), 8.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.12 bpg, and 33.3 mpg … Missed two games due to personal reasons (2/3 & 2/5) and five contests with non-displaced lower back fractures (2/26 - 3/5) … Ranked 21st in the NBA in rebounding and 37th in blocks … Notched five consecutive double-doubles from Nov. 4 thru Nov. 13 … (Kings 4-1) … Increased production significantly from late November through December (11/29 – 12/30), accruing averages of 17.0 ppg (.531 FG%, 0-3 3pt, .746 FT%), 9.2 rpg, and 2.0 apg in 16 games, scoring 20-plus points five times and logging six double-doubles during that span (Kings 7-9) … Scored in double-figures 50 times and tallied 20 or more points in nine contests … Corralled 10-plus rebounds in 28 games and logged 24 double-doubles … Led the Kings in scoring six times, rebounding in 28 games, and assists on six occasions.

COLLEGE:

Averaged 16.7 ppg (.526 FG%, .291 3pt%, .667 FT%), 9.6 rpg, 2.1 apg, 0.85 spg, and 1.93 bpg in 122 career games (started 112) in four seasons at Rider (2004-05 – 2007-08) … Named 2007-08 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year as a senior, averaging 20.4 ppg (.560 FG%, .324 3pt%, .581 FT%), 12.1 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.06 spg, and 2.70 bpg in starting all 34 games in which he played, ranking second in the country in rebounding behind Kansas State’s Michael Beasley (12.4 rpg), 29th nationally in scoring, and 18th in blocked shots (91) … Also earned First Team All-Conference and MAAC Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season … Earned United States Basketball Writers Association District II Player of the Year and Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American honors … Named MAAC Defensive Player of the Year in junior (2006-07) and senior seasons … Finished second in the MAAC in scoring (behind Niagara’s Charron Fisher, 27.6 ppg) and blocked shots (trailing Tomas Vazquez-Simmons of Canisius, 2.80 bpg) … First NCAA player in 12 years to register at least three 20-point, 20-rebound performances in one year … Named to the All-Tournament team after averaging 23.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.00 blocks at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando vs. North Carolina State (11/22/07), Penn State (11/23/07), and Kansas State (11/25/07) … Broke the Broncs’ single-game rebounding record on two occasions, grabbing 21 caroms (previous mark was 20) vs. Delaware (11/17/07), only to reset the standard with 24 rebounds vs. Siena (2/10/08)—second in conference history only to the 25 rebounds snared by Fairfield’s Darren Phillip vs. Marist (1/5/00) … Rewrote school annals for single-season rebounds (412) in 2007-08, surpassing the 328 amassed by Steve Jefferson in 1971-72 … Established a new Rider single-season scoring total with 694 points, eclipsing the previous mark held by Darrick Suber (665 in 1992-93) … Sits atop the Broncs’ all-time list with 275 field goals made in a season, passing Alberto Baptiste (247 in 1979-80) … Swatted seven shots in consecutive games vs. Delaware (11/17/07) and Fairleigh Dickinson (11/19/07), posting school records for blocks in a single contest (second in MAAC history to Iona’s Nakiea Miller who rejected 11 shots vs. Fairfield (3/5/00) … Recorded 24 double-doubles, including eight straight to conclude the season … Scored 24 points (9-14 FG) to accompany seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and four blocks vs. Kansas State (11/25/07), all while defending Michael Beasley to just 13 points—the second-lowest total for the All-American that season … Hauled in a career-high 24 rebounds to complement 26 points (9-20 FG, 0-1 3pt, 8-12 FT), three assists, and five blocks vs. Siena (2/10/08) … Notched a career-high 33 points (13-18 FG, 1-2 3pt, 6-10 FT) to go with 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and three blocks vs. St. Peter’s (2/29/08) … Finished career alone at the top of Rider annals in rebounds (1,171), and blocks (235), and third all-time in scoring with 2,040 points … Only player in MAAC history to total more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career … Accrued 55 double-doubles, also a MAAC record … Recipient of the Gil Rossi Award in each of his last three collegiate seasons, bestowed upon Rider’s MVP … Led the conference in scoring and rebounding as a junior (2006-07), averaging 20.1 ppg and 10.1 rpg (ranking 24th & 10th in the nation respectively) en route to Mid-Major All-American honors … Joined Kevin Durant of Texas and Nick Fazekas of Nevada as the only players in the nation to average a double-double in 2006-07 … Registered Rider’s first 20/20 performance in team history with 23 points and a then career-high 20 rebounds vs. Manhattan (2/9/07) … Named a second team All-MAAC selection as a sophomore (2005-06), finishing seventh in the conference in scoring (16.6 ppg) and fourth in rebounding (8.4 rpg) … Started 21 games as a true freshman (2004-05), averaging 9.1 ppg and a team-leading 7.4 rpg, earning All-Conference status and CollegeInsider.com Freshman All-American accolades.

PERSONAL:

Full name is Jason Carlton Thompson
Nickname is ‘JT ‘
Son of Chuck and Sharyn Thompson
Younger brother Ryan is a junior guard at Rider and was a second-team all MAAC selection last season
Majored in communications in college
Most memorable moments in his basketball career thus far include being drafted by the Kings and winning a high school state championship
Lists his parents as the people he most admires
Spends leisure time with family and friends, listening to music, and going to the movies
Favorite films are “He Got Game” and “New Jack City”
Shoe size 20 (Nike)

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