Dijon Thompson

Dijon Thompson
Born	(1983-02-23) February 23, 1983 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Basketball player, basketball coach
Years active	2005–2017 (player)
Known for	Professional basketball career in NBA and Europe

Dijon Lynn Thompson (born February 23, 1983) is a retired American professional basketball athlete who experienced a short stint in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Primarily a shooting guard, he also took on the role of small forward while competing in Europe. He is presently engaged in coaching high school basketball at Valley Christian Athletics.

College

During his tenure at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Thompson was a vital contributor, posting an average of 15.6 points per game throughout his college career, including 18.4 points during his junior year. On February 10, 2005, he achieved a personal best by scoring 39 points against Arizona State.

Although he initially declared for the NBA draft following his junior year, Thompson chose to withdraw and return for his senior season. His leadership helped guide UCLA back into the NCAA Tournament after missing out for two consecutive years.

NBA

Thompson was picked in the second round as the 54th overall selection by the New York Knicks in the 2005 NBA draft, but was promptly traded alongside forward-center Kurt Thomas to the Phoenix Suns. The Suns exchanged guard Quentin Richardson, draft rights to guard Nate Robinson, and cash considerations for him.

On November 4, 2005, Phoenix assigned Thompson to their NBA D-League affiliate, the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, where he averaged 17.7 points and 7.7 rebounds across three contests. He became the first player recalled from the D-League that season on November 26 after Leandro Barbosa suffered a knee injury.

Thompson underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee on March 10, 2006, which ended his season prematurely. By June 23, the Suns opted not to exercise his player option, rendering him a free agent.

The Golden State Warriors invited him to their training camp on October 2, 2006; however, he was released a week later.

Rejoining the Albuquerque Thunderbirds on November 27, 2006, Thompson delivered averages of 20.8 points and 9.8 rebounds over his initial five games back and earned D-League Performer of the Week honors on December 11.

On January 6, 2007, he signed a 10-day contract with the Atlanta Hawks as forward Josh Smith recovered from a hernia operation. After posting averages of 2.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in six appearances, Thompson secured a second 10-day contract on January 16. Returning to the D-League, he scored 14 points in the NBA D-League All-Star Game on February 19 and helped lead the Thunderbirds to a playoff spot; however, they were eliminated in the opening round.

For his efforts during the 2006–07 season, Thompson received All-NBA Development League Honorable Mention recognition.

European career

On July 27, 2007, Thompson agreed to a one-year deal with Alba Berlin. The partnership concluded in May 2008.

He then signed with Azovmash Mariupol on June 10, 2008. On September 4, 2009, Thompson committed to a two-year contract with Hapoel Jerusalem.

For the 2010–11 campaign, he competed with Spartak Saint Petersburg in Russia’s Professional Basketball League. In July 2011, Thompson inked a one-year contract with French club ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne.

September 2012 saw him join Nizhny Novgorod in Russia’s top league; he earned selection to the All-EuroCup First Team in 2014.

On February 17, 2015, Thompson signed a six-month deal with Hapoel Tel Aviv. Later, on June 22, 2016, he agreed to a one-year contract with Cypriot team AEL Larnaca.