Sam Thompson (basketball)
Sam Thompson | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 11, 1992 United States |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Known for | Playing for multiple international and NBA G League teams |
Sam Thompson (born November 11, 1992) is a professional basketball athlete from the United States, most recently affiliated with the Astros de Jalisco competing in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto (LNB). His collegiate basketball career was spent at Ohio State.
High school career
Thompson attended Whitney Young High School located in Chicago, Illinois, where he secured two state titles during the 2008 and 2009 seasons and finished as a finalist in 2010. During his junior year, he posted averages of 10 points and 8 rebounds per contest, which elevated in his senior year to 17.6 points per game on a .568 field goal shooting percentage along with 8.7 rebounds.
College career
Despite recruitment interest from Florida, Georgetown, Kansas, and Oregon State, Thompson elected to play for Ohio State. Throughout four seasons and 146 appearances, he averaged 6.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while playing nearly 23 minutes per game. His senior season culminated with an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten recognition by media members.
Professional career
Following the 2015 NBA draft, where he was not selected, Thompson participated in the 2015 NBA Summer League representing the Minnesota Timberwolves. He signed with the Charlotte Hornets on September 15, 2015, but was released on October 23 after participating in five preseason matches. Subsequently, on October 31, he was picked seventh overall by the Grand Rapids Drive in the 2015 NBA Development League Draft. On January 14, 2016, a trade sent him to the Delaware 87ers in exchange for Gary Talton.
On August 11, 2016, Thompson inked a contract with Vasas Akademia competing in Hungary’s top-tier league, Nemzeti Bajnokság I/A. Between 2017 and 2019, he spent two seasons playing for the Greensboro Swarm within the NBA G League.
Thompson joined Vietnam’s Saigon Heat for the 2019–20 campaign in the ASEAN Basketball League, where he averaged an impressive 20.7 points and grabbed 8.5 rebounds per game. On July 19, 2020, he signed with Italy’s Novipiù Casale Monferrato, competing in the Serie A2 Basket division.
On December 29, 2021, Thompson was acquired by the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League. Later, on May 27, 2022, he committed to the Nelson Giants to complete the remainder of the 2022 New Zealand NBL season. The start of the following season saw him play in Lithuania for BC Gargždai-SC, before returning to Sioux Falls on December 30, 2022.
Most recently, on May 16, 2023, Thompson signed with the Marineros de Puerto Plata, competing in the Dominican Republic's Liga Nacional de Baloncesto.
Personal life
Thompson is the son of Hubert Thompson and Kennise Herring and has three siblings: Franklin Thompson, Victoria Thompson, and Malcolm Carstafhnur.