Gary Thompson (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Gary Thompson is a retired American basketball
player and broadcaster. He was an All-American
player at Iowa State
. Following his collegiate career, Thompson played for the Phillips 66ers
of the Amateur Athletic Union
and had a successful career as a broadcaster.
from the small town of Roland, Iowa
to become one of the Cyclones' first cage stars. A 5'10 guard, Thompson was the first Iowa State player to score more than 1,000 points and the first player in school history to tally 40 points in a game. As a senior in 1956-57, Thompson earned consensus second team All-American honors and was named Big Seven Conference
player of the year
, beating out Kansas star Wilt Chamberlain
. Thompson excelled in a second sport as well, leading Iowa State to the 1957 College World Series
as a star shortstop
.
Following the close of his standout college career, Thompson chose to join the Bartlesville Phillips 66ers of the Amateur Athletic Union
, though he was also drafted in the fifth round of the 1957 NBA Draft
by the Minneapolis Lakers. Thompson had a successful career with the 66ers, earning AAU All-America honors three times and leading Phillips to an AAU title in 1962. He later coached the 66ers as well.
and CBS
, primarily for Big Eight and later Big 12 games. He retired in 2006.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and broadcaster. He was an All-American
NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
The NCAA Men's Basketball All-American teams are honorary teams made up of those NCAA basketball players voted the best in the country by a variety of organizations.-History:...
player at Iowa State
Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball
The Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team represents Iowa State University and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I.-Johnny Orr era :...
. Following his collegiate career, Thompson played for the Phillips 66ers
Phillips 66ers
The Phillips 66ers basketball team was an amateur squad sponsored and run by the Phillips Petroleum Company. The team, which began play in 1919, participated in the Amateur Athletic Union, the nation’s premier basketball league before the National Basketball Association...
of the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
and had a successful career as a broadcaster.
Playing career
Known as the "Roland Rocket," Gary Thompson came to Iowa State UniversityIowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
from the small town of Roland, Iowa
Roland, Iowa
Roland is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,324 at the 2000 census. It is part of the 'Ames, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area', which is a part of the larger 'Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Area'.- Geography :...
to become one of the Cyclones' first cage stars. A 5'10 guard, Thompson was the first Iowa State player to score more than 1,000 points and the first player in school history to tally 40 points in a game. As a senior in 1956-57, Thompson earned consensus second team All-American honors and was named Big Seven Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
player of the year
Big Eight Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Big Eight Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year was an annual basketball award given to the Big Eight Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1956–57 season and concluded after the 1995–96 season . From 1960 through 1967 no award was given out...
, beating out Kansas star Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
. Thompson excelled in a second sport as well, leading Iowa State to the 1957 College World Series
1957 College World Series
The 1957 College World Series was played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE from June 8 to June 12. The eleventh tournament's champion was the University of California, coached by George Wolfman...
as a star shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
.
Following the close of his standout college career, Thompson chose to join the Bartlesville Phillips 66ers of the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
, though he was also drafted in the fifth round of the 1957 NBA Draft
1957 NBA Draft
The 1957 NBA Draft was the 11th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 17, 1957 before the 1957–58 season. In this draft, eight NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players...
by the Minneapolis Lakers. Thompson had a successful career with the 66ers, earning AAU All-America honors three times and leading Phillips to an AAU title in 1962. He later coached the 66ers as well.
Post-playing career
After his playing days were over, Thompson began the Gary Thompson Oil Company, a business venture made possible by his affiliation with the Phillips Petroleum Company. He also embarked on a 34-year television broadcasting career - serving as color commentator for college basketball games on NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, primarily for Big Eight and later Big 12 games. He retired in 2006.