Rip City Project
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Portland Trail Blazers: 15 best draft picks of all-time

By John Buhler

BOSTON - 1970: Bill Walton #32 of the Portland Trailblazers makes a pass against the Boston Celtics during the NBA game at the Boston Garden in Boston, Masachussetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON - 1970: Bill Walton #32 of the Portland Trailblazers makes a pass against the Boston Celtics during the NBA game at the Boston Garden in Boston, Masachussetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Mychal Thompson, Portland Trail Blazers
(Photo by Jeff Golden/Getty Images) /

After starring collegiately for the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Big Ten, the Trail Blazers used the first overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft on Bahamian big man Mychal Thompson. While he gained greater notoriety for the latter half of his NBA career with the Showtime Lakers, Thompson was an excellent frontcourt player for the Trail Blazers in his own right.

Thompson was named to the All-Rookie first team in 1978-79 when he averaged 14.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in 29.4 minutes per contest. He was on his path to stardom before a leg injury slowed him down in year two. Thompson missed his entire second season with the Trail Blazers in 1979-80 due to injury. He would play the next six seasons in Portland before being traded to the San Antonio Spurs for big man Steve Johnson in 1986.

Thompson’s tenure in the Lone Star State wasn’t for long, as he would be traded to the Lakers for a pair of big men and a 1990 first-round pick. He would play the next 4.5 NBA seasons with the Lakers before retiring a two-time NBA Champion in 1991 at age 36. Overall, Thompson averaged 13.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in his 12-year NBA career over 13 seasons.

While with the Trail Blazers, Thompson averaged 16.7 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in 34.3 minutes per contest. Thompson calls games on Lakers broadcasts. His son Klay Thompson is too busy winning championships as the second-greatest 3-point shooter in NBA history for the Golden State Warriors. One of his other sons Trayce Thompson plays shortstop in the MLB. It’s a good sports family and Mychal is the great patriarch of the Thompson clan.