Darius Thompson

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Darius Thompson

| image = Darius Thompson 13 Anadolu Efes TBSL 20241229 (2) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Darius Thompson in 2024

| position = Point guard

| height_m = 1.93

| weight_kg = 89

| league = BSL
EuroLeague

| team = Anadolu Efes

| number = 13

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1995|5|4}}

| birth_place = Murfreesboro, Tennessee, U.S.

| nationality = American / Italian

| high_school = Blackman
(Murfreesboro, Tennessee)

| college =

Tennessee (2013–2014)
Virginia (2015–2017)
Western Kentucky (2017–2018)

| draft_year = 2017

| career_start = 2017

| years1 = 2017–2019

| team1 = ZZ Leiden

| years2 = 2019–2021

| team2 = Brindisi

| years3 = 2021–2022

| team3 = Lokomotiv Kuban

| years4 = 2022–2023

| team4 = Baskonia

| years5 = 2023–present

| team5 = Anadolu Efes

| highlights =

}}

File:2023-01-05 ALBA Berlin gegen Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (EuroLeague 2022-23) by Sandro Halank–053.jpg

Darius Jamar Thompson (born May 4, 1995) is an American-born naturalized Italian professional basketball player for Anadolu Efes of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) and the EuroLeague. Standing at {{height|cm=193}}, he plays at the point guard position.

Early life

Thompson was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and is the son of Lonnie Thompson, who played basketball for Middle Tennessee State, and Felicia Thompson.{{Cite web |title=Darius Thompson – Men's Basketball |url=https://utsports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/darius-thompson/612 |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=University of Tennessee Athletics |language=en}}

Playing for Blackman High School, Thompson was a 2013 McDonald's All-American Game nominee and was ranked the no. 4 best combo guard in the country by 247Sports.com. In his senior year with Blackman, he averaged 16.4 points and 6.4 assists.

College career

Professional career

=ZZ Leiden=

In August 2017, Thompson signed a one-year contract with ZZ Leiden of the Dutch Basketball League (DBL) and FIBA Europe Cup.{{cite web|url=https://www.unity.nu/artikelen/leiden/darius-thompson-naar-zz-leiden|title=Darius Thompson naar ZZ Leiden|work=Unity NU is de nieuwssite voor de regio Leiden [www.unity.nu]|access-date=December 18, 2018}} On October 27, 2017, Thompson scored 32 points in a 73–78 win over Den Helder Suns.{{cite web|url=https://basketballleague.nl/nieuws/4377|title=Incompleet ZZ Leiden pakt winst|work=basketballleague.nl|access-date=December 18, 2018}} On November 7, Thompson led Leiden to a win over Sakarya BB in the FIBA Europe Cup by scoring 36 points.{{cite web|url=https://basketballleague.nl/nieuws/4406|title=Het mirakel van de Vijf Meihal|work=basketballleague.nl|access-date=December 18, 2018}} On March 31, Thompson won the NBB Cup with Leiden, after scoring 25 points in the final.{{cite web|url=https://nos.nl/l/2278403|title=Basketballers ZZ Leiden veroveren nationale beker|work=nos.nl|date=March 31, 2019 |access-date=April 1, 2019}} On April 24, 2019, Thompson won the DBL Most Valuable Player award.{{cite web|url=https://basketballleague.nl/nieuws/4858|title=Darius Thompson is MVP van de DBL|work=basketballleague.nl|access-date=April 26, 2019|archive-date=April 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425065547/https://basketballleague.nl/nieuws/4858|url-status=dead}}

=Brindisi=

On July 23, 2019, Thompson signed a one-year contract with an option for a second season with Happy Casa Brindisi of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and Basketball Champions League (BCL).{{cite web|url=https://www.newbasketbrindisi.it/2019/07/23/il-top-scorer-darius-thompson-alla-corte-della-happy-casa-brindisi/|title=Il top scorer Darius Thompson alla corte della Happy Casa Brindisi|date=July 23, 2019|access-date=July 24, 2019}}

=Lokomotiv Kuban=

On July 1, 2021, Thompson left Brindisi after two years and signed in the VTB United League for the Russian team Lokomotiv Kuban.{{cite web |title="Локо" подписал контракт с Дариусом Томпсоном |url=https://lokobasket.com/news/161510/ |publisher=lokobasket.com |date=July 1, 2021 |language=Russian }} He left the team after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.{{Cite web|url=https://basketnews.com/news-167600-leave-or-stay-american-players-in-russia.html|title=Leave or stay: American players in Russia|website=basketnews.com}} However he said that participation in this team was pleasant.

=Baskonia=

On August 12, 2022, Thompson signed a two-year (1+1) contract with Baskonia of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague.{{Cite news|url=https://sportando.basketball/en/baskonia-signs-darius-thompson/|title=Baskonia signs Darius Thompson|last=|first=|date=August 12, 2022|website=|newspaper=Sportando|language=En|access-date=August 16, 2022 |last1=Carchia |first1=Emiliano }}

Thompson had a breakout season in 2022–23 with Baskonia. He led the EuroLeague in assists per game (averaging 6.7 per game) and was named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team.{{Cite web |date=May 15, 2023 |title=Here is your 2022–23 All-EuroLeague Second Team! {{!}} EuroLeague |url=https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/here-is-your-2022-23-all-euroleague-second-team/ |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=Euroleague Basketball |language=en-GB}} Thompson was also voted the Best Newcomer by the EuroLeague Players' Association (ELPA).{{Cite web |date=June 5, 2023 |title=Darius Thompson being voted "Best Newcomer" by ELPA Players |url=https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1512972/darius-thompson-baskonia-the-elpa-best-newcomer-euroleague/ |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=Eurohoops |language=en}}

On July 7, 2023, Thompson parted ways with the Spanish club.

=Anadolu Efes=

On July 7, 2023, Thompson signed a three-year (2+1) contract with Turkish powerhouse Anadolu Efes, where he replaced star point guard Vasilije Micić who left the club for the Oklahoma City Thunder.{{Cite web |date=July 5, 2023 |title=Darius Thompson will replace Vasilije Micic in Efes |url=https://basketnews.com/news-191444-darius-thompson-will-replace-vasilije-micic-in-efes.html |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=basketnews.com |language=en}}

National team career

Thompson has been recruited by the Italy national team, as he is eligible for an Italian passport because of his Italian wife.{{Cite web |date=June 26, 2023 |title=Italian national team calling Darius Thompson with Milan watching |url=https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1521754/italian-national-team-calling-darius-thompson-with-milan-watching/ |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=Eurohoops |language=en}}

Career statistics

=EuroLeague=

class="wikitable"

style="background:#CFECEC; width:1em"|*

| Led the league

| style="text-align:left;"| 2022–23

| style="text-align:left;"| Baskonia

| 34 || 33 || 26.9 || .497 || .384 || .756 || 3.2 || style="background:#CFECEC;"|6.7* || 1.7 || .4 || 12.6 || 17.1

| style="text-align:left;"| 2023–24

| style="text-align:left;"| Anadolu Efes

| 35 || 21 || 26.0 || .443 || .328 || .838 || 2.0 || 2.8 || 1.0 || .5 || 10.9 || 9.6

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career

| 69 || 54 || 26.4 || .470 || .355 || .793 || 2.6 || 4.7 || 1.3 || .5 || 11.7 || 13.3

=EuroCup=

| style="text-align:left;"| 2021–22

| style="text-align:left;"| Lokomotiv Kuban

| 12 || 12 || 29.8 || .580 || .333 || .800 || 3.0 || 5.8 || 1.7 || .5 || 13.2 || 17.2

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career

| 12 || 12 || 29.8 || .580 || .333 || .800 || 3.0 || 5.8 || 1.7 || .5 || 13.2 || 17.2

=Basketball Champions League=

| style="text-align:left;"| 2019–20

| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| Brindisi

| 13 || 13 || 27.5 || .538 || .344 || .700 || 3.6 || 3.5 || 1.6 || .5 || 11.6

| style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21

| 12 || 12 || 26.6 || .500 || .407 || .706 || 3.0 || 4.9 || .7 || .5 || 12.1

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career

| 25 || 25 || 27.0 || .520 || .373 || .704 || 3.3 || 4.2 || 1.2 || .5 || 11.8

=FIBA Europe Cup=

| style="text-align:left;"| 2018–19

| style="text-align:left;"| ZZ Leiden

| 14 || 14 || 37.9 || .513 || .286 || .803 || 4.8 || 3.7 || 2.1 || .3 || 22.2

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career

| 14 || 14 || 37.9 || .513 || .286 || .803 || 4.8 || 3.7 || 2.1 || .3 || 22.2

=Domestic leagues=

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%; text-align:right;"

! Year

! Team

! League

! {{Tooltip|GP|Games played}}

! {{Tooltip|MPG|Minutes per game}}

! {{Tooltip|FG%|Field goal percentage}}

! {{Tooltip|3P%|3-point field-goal percentage}}

! {{Tooltip|FT%|Free-throw percentage}}

! {{Tooltip|RPG|Rebounds per game}}

! {{Tooltip|APG|Assists per game}}

! {{Tooltip|SPG|Steals per game}}

! {{Tooltip|BPG|Blocks per game}}

! {{Tooltip|PPG|Points per game}}

| style="text-align:left;"| 2018–19 || style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|Netherlands|size=20px}} ZZ Leiden || style="text-align:center;"|DBL || 38 || 35.2 || .540 || .399 || .820 || 4.1 || 5.4 || 2.6 || .4 || 19.0

| style="text-align:left;"| 2019–20 || style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|Italy|size=20px}} Brindisi || style="text-align:center;"|LBA || 21 || 26.3 || .480 || .460 || .711 || 2.6 || 2.9 || 1.3 || .4 || 11.6

| style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21 || style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|Italy|size=20px}} Brindisi || style="text-align:center;"|LBA || 31 || 28.7 || .495 || .306 || .735 || 2.9 || 5.4 || 1.7 || .7 || 12.7

| style="text-align:left;"| 2021–22 || style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|Russia|size=20px}} Lokomotiv Kuban || style="text-align:center;"|VTBUL || 11 || 28.2 || .462 || .273 || .640 || 4.4 || 5.7 || 2.1 || .6 || 9.8

| style="text-align:left;"| 2022–23 || style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|Spain|size=20px}} Baskonia || style="text-align:center;"|ACB || 34 || 22.0 || .500 || .408 || .826 || 2.5 || 6.1 || 1.1 || .4 || 10.2

| style="text-align:left;"| 2023–24 || style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|Turkey|size=20px}} Anadolu Efes || style="text-align:center;"|TBSL || 25 || 27.7 || .498 || .412 || .717 || 2.6 || 4.5 || 1.1 || .5 || 12.7

=College=

| style="text-align:left;"| 2013–14

| style="text-align:left;"| Tennessee

|| 37 || 10 || 16.8 || .381 || .195 || .733 || 2.0 || 2.4 || 1.0 || .2 || 2.5

| style="text-align:left;"| 2015–16

| style="text-align:left;"| Virginia

|| 37 || 10 || 17.5 || .537 || .390 || .722 || 1.2 || 1.4 || .7 || .2 || 4.3

| style="text-align:left;"| 2016–17

| style="text-align:left;"| Virginia

|| 33 || 14 || 20.8 || .448 || .351 || .605 || 1.6 || 2.2 || .8 || .4 || 6.2

| style="text-align:left;"| 2017–18

| style="text-align:left;"| Western Kentucky

|| 38 || 37 || 35.6 || .463 || .355 || .736 || 4.2 || 4.8 || 1.5 || .5 || 13.6

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career

|| 145 || 71 || 22.8 || .461 || .338 || .712 || 2.3 || 2.7 || 1.0 || .3 || 6.7

Honors

;ZZ Leiden

NBB Cup: 2018–19
DBL Most Valuable Player: 2018–19
All-DBL Team: 2018–19
DBL scoring leader: 2018–19
DBL Statistical Player of the Year: 2018–19

References

External links

[https://virginiasports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=270 Virginia Cavaliers bio]
[https://utsports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/darius-thompson/612 Tennessee Volunteers bio]
[https://wkusports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/darius-thompson/1191 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers bio]

{{navboxes|list=

}}

Category:1995 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American sportsmen

Category:21st-century Italian sportsmen

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Italy

Category:American expatriate basketball people in the Netherlands

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Russia

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Spain

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Turkey

Category:American men's basketball players