By Semih Tuna / info@eurohoops.net
Casademont Zaragoza big man Jason Thompson landed as a 33-year-old rookie in the Basketball Champions League to bring in years of experience in the game, having played all across the world and gaining valuable expertise in the meantime. This September, his aim is to put his talents on display to help the underdog Spanish team achieve great results in Athens, at the Basketball Champions League Final Eight that tips off Wednesday.
His life journey so far, however, extends past the four court lines and proves that we can all grow with the heart of a lion and learn from tragedy.
The Sacramento experience
The New Jersey native was selected with the 12th overall pick of the 2008 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings, where his career would eventually take off. Thompson signed a rookie contract with the franchise in 2008-09 and registered averages of 11.1 points and 7.4 rebounds across 82 games in his first year. The Kings then extended his contract twice in the following two seasons, before penning him to a multi-year contract that would last until his 2015 trade to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The JT Foundation and the Elite Basketball Camp
In 2010 and while his career was elevated as a Kings sophomore, the devastating loss of his cousin Tiffany to heart disease at 25 years of age greatly affected Jason and his family. The tragic news of her passing inspired the player to become an advocate for heart health, resulting in the establishment of the JT Foundation, which aims to positively influence children and young adults in “unique and effective ways”, while actively tackling strategies to dealing with everyday heart health challenges.
Alongside the social awareness the Foundation aspires to bring to light, Thompson has occupied himself with his very own JT Elite Basketball Camp since 2007. Kids from across the United States can join the now experienced Zaragoza star to learn and develop their skills every summer, with the only exception being 2020, due to the challenges imposed by the coronavirus outbreak that led to the cancellation of this year’s camp.
Two-way trade, Raptors and the jump to China
Thompson was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in July 2015, in exchange for the rights to Euro prospects Arturas Gudaitis and Luka Mitrovic, then, later on, the Sixers would trade him to the Golden State Warriors. He made his appearance in 28 games for the Warriors, with limited time on the court (6.4 minutes per game), before being waived in February 2016.
He wasted little time off the court, as he joined the Toronto Raptors a few days after and was meant to be part of the team’s historic postseason run, as they made it to Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. A first for Thompson himself, who had a minor role in the team coming from the bench.
With the conclusion of the 2015-16 season, the big man bid goodbye to the NBA to move to the Chinese League, where he made his debut with the Shandong Golden Stars in 2016.
Arrival in Europe with Fenerbahce
Thompson got his first taste of European basketball in the 2017-18 season when he landed in Zeljko Obradovic’s Fenerbahce, a year after the Turkish club clinched its first-ever EuroLeague title. He soon became a fan favorite, even though his time on the court was fairly limited. Thompson had 5 points, 3.9 rebounds across 16 minutes on the court in 36 games in his EuroLeague debut, while he helped the team win the Turkish President’s Cup that season. In hindsight, Fener’s exuberant roster might not have been a perfect fit for the player, though he gained valuable experience under the guidance of coach Obradovic.
After the two sides decided to part ways in 2018, Thompson returned to China, this time for the Sichuan Blue Whales.