David Thompson is a former professional basketball player. He was previously a star in college for North Carolina State, leading the Wolfpack to its first NCAA championship in 1974.

He played with the Denver Nuggets of both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and NBA, as well as the Seattle SuperSonics. Thompson is one of the six players to score 70 or more points in an NBA game. Thompson was known for his exceptional leaping ability that enabled him to become one of the game's premier dunkers in the 1970s, which earned him the nickname of "Skywalker". Michael Jordan said, "The whole meaning of vertical leap began with David Thompson." Bill Walton described Thompson as "Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, and LeBron James rolled into one.

Thompson returned to North Carolina State in 2003 to complete his degree in sociology. The next year, he shot an autobiographical film titled Skywalker. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on May 6, 1996, and introduced Michael Jordan for the latter's 2009 induction. Most. He has worked as a motivational speaker and participated in events with the Hornets and Denver Nuggets.