Throwback Thursday: Laker Great Mychal Thompson

Photo Courtesy of Mike Powell-Allsports

Power forward Mychal Thompson was already considered a great player during his days in Portland and San Antonio but when the savy veteran came to the Lakers franchise, he definitely solidified his career as a solid competitor who had just the right size and length to complement the Lakers fast break offense.

Thompson was chosen by the Portland Trailblazers as the first pick of the 1978 draft. Thompson's rookie season was already a productive one as he averaged 14.7 points and 8.3 rebounds a night. His best season came in the 1981-1982 campaign when his numbers hiked up to 20.8 points and 11.7 total rebounds per game. After seven years in Portland, the team found itself in a rebuilding period and decided to let Thompson go. In 1986, he was eventually picked up by the Spurs and played 49 games with them until his name was, once again, placed on the trading block. Thompson was a 32 year old veteran with eight years under his belt, the Spurs were looking for younger players to develop as their team was looking at a long stretch of improvement and development to come.

Meanwhile, the Lakers were in need of a smart and lengthy big man who could possibly relief Kareem Abdul-Jabaar in games that may go down the stretch. General Manager Jerry West, Coach Pat Riley and point guard Earvin "Magic" Johnson all knew that Thompson was the perfect fit for their team. After being eliminated in the Western Conference by the Houston Rockets in the previous season, the franchise went into the off season looking for players that could potentially improve the Lakers and get them back to the championship caliber form they were in 1985. Thompson was a player that was always on their radar but nothing ever seemed to go into fruition. In all turned around in the month of February in 1987, when the Lakers managed to trade Steve Johnson and a couple of draft picks for Thompson.

Coach Riley was stoked and Thompson did not upset. Playing in only 33 contests as a Laker reserve, Thompson picked up 10.1 points and 4.1 rebounds a night. He was the player that the Lakers needed to defeat an aggressive Boston Celtics team, a player who was willing to go alongside Kareem, Kurt Rambis and A.C. Green in boxing out and fighting for loose balls and rebounds.

Photo Courtesy of dailymail.co.uk

One of Thompson's biggest assets was his ability to run the floor which was perfect for the Show Time brand of basketball. He applied much pressure to his defenders with his speed and agility to loop around screens. Standing at 6'10'' and weighing only 226 lbs, Thompson was a nightmare to chase around for any big man.

In game four of the 1987 NBA Finals against the Celtics, Thompson's shining moment came during a hustle play in which he was able to deflect the ball off of Kevin Mchale's hands after Kareem had missed a free throw. Trailing by one with seven seconds to go, Thompson had given the Lakers another opportunity on the offensive end, the opportunity that turned out to be Johnson's legendary running hook over Mchale, Robert Parish, and Larry Bird which put away the game, 107-106.

Thompson would go on to win the 1987 championship with the Lakers and would manage to come back the next year for a repeat in 1988. The Veteran would play five seasons with the purple and gold before retiring in 1991.

Thompson is currently a television analyst and commentator for the Golden State Warriors, the team that his son, Klay Thompson, currently plays for.