Last spring Austin Peay’s Terry Taylor became the most recent member of the 2000 PTS/1000 REB club. Another member of that exclusive club is Jason Thompson, who finished his career at Rider with 2040 PTS/1171 REB. After being named 2008 MAAC POY he was drafted 12th overall by Sacramento and spent almost a decade in the NBA, and has played pro basketball overseas for the past several years. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Kevin Baggett and AD Don Harnum about Jason’s amazing career. Today is Jason’s 35th birthday so let us be the 1st to wish him a happy 1!
Jason grew up in New Jersey: what made him chose Rider? Kevin Baggett: He had some other options. There were a lot of schools that wanted him to redshirt or go to prep school for 1 year but he had an opportunity to come here and play right away. Don Harnum: He is a family-type of kid who did not want to go far away from home. We recruited him the hardest and his parents were at every single game but he was not a lottery pick when he 1st arrived here.
As a senior he was named conference POY: what did it mean to him to receive such an outstanding honor? KB: I think that it was a great accomplishment but he cared more about winning championships. Unfortunately we had some injuries in the MAAC tourney. DH: People act like he was 6’3” when we recruited him and that he just ended up growing to 6’11” but that is not true. The narrative is that he was 6’7” when we started recruiting him and 6’8” when he committed to us. He also grew as a player who was driven to get into the gym all the time. I was his coach as a freshman and we played him early on: at a bigger school he would probably not have played until his junior year.
In the 2008 MAAC tourney title game he had 22 PTS/12 REB in a loss to Siena: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of his career? KB: It probably ranks up there because we were having a really good year. We lost 3 starters in the semifinals including Jason’s brother Ryan. I am sure there were some other tough games along the way. DH: In the semifinals he played 1 of his best games ever but by the finals we had lost 3 starters to injury and Siena double-teamed him all over the court.
He averaged 16.7 PPG/9.6 RPG in 122 career college games: how was he able to balance his scoring with his rebounding? KB: He was just willing to do whatever it took for us to win. He could bring the ball up against the press, guard the other team’s best player even if it was not a center, etc. We have not had anyone else who made the impact that he did. DH: He was always able to rebound right off the bat: NBA scouts told me that rebounding was always a skill that consistently transferred to the next level. He was quick/mobile and was simply the biggest dude in the league. He was long and could run the court.
He graduated as the all-time leading rebounder/shot-blocker in school history: what was his secret for being a great rebounder/shot-blocker? KB: Being 6’11” helped: he arrived here at 6’7” but left with a size-19 shoe! The MAAC is more of a guard-oriented league but he altered a lot of shots while being a 2-time conference DPOY. DH: He was long, quick off his feet, and had a good level of alertness.
In the summer of 2008 he was selected 12th overall by Sacramento in the NBA draft (2 spots behind 2021 NBA champ Brook Lopez): did he see that as a validation of his college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? KB: It meant a lot to both him and his family and said a lot about his work ethic/dedication. There were many times we had to kick him off the court because he was always working on his moves. We tried to protect him as much as possible but he wanted to be out there for every single possession to show his teammates how committed he was. To come out of a mid-major school and get drafted was a great day for everyone: he still sleeps/breathes Rider and has donated more than $1 million to our university. DH: He was not even on the NBA’s radar until late in his junior year so he is kind of a unique case. We did not even discuss the NBA when we signed him but I thought that we stole 1 when he came here. I give him and his coaches credit for that but late in his senior year the scouts started showing up. He was almost giddy to discover that people were looking at him because he was not a top-5 recruit coming out of high school.
As a rookie he played all 82 games while averaging 11.1 PPG/7.4 RPG: how was he able to make such a smooth transition from college to the pros? KB: He stayed within himself and never tried to do anything he was incapable of doing. He was a glue guy who would rebound/defend/run the floor. Watching him play by giving up his body/taking charges reminded me of how he played in college. He was never a problem off the court and still works harder that most players I have ever been around. DH: Part of it was that he was physically mature. He was not just a low-post player: he could shoot/drive and was more ready as a 4-year guy. He was in Chicago training with his agent, who put a lot of pressure on him not to return for graduation, but he insisted on returning to campus to walk across the stage and get his diploma.
He made the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals with Toronto and has spent the past several years playing pro basketball overseas: how proud are you of all his success? KB: I tell people this all the time: I am happy for him to live his dream but am prouder of the person who got his degree in 4 years and continued to stay humble. He never changed even after making some money: he is committed to his craft and could still probably play in the NBA. The fact he was willing to travel abroad for the love of the game says a lot about him. DH: He is such a good guy. We just built a new practice facility and he comes back to work out with our guys every single summer. His name is on that court and he also helped us renovate our locker rooms. He has given back and is proud of having gone here. He brings his friends and we have quality pickup games all summer long in our gym.
1 of his college teammates was his younger brother Ryan, who also played pro basketball in Europe: who is the best athlete in the family? KB: Ryan is: I think that he should have played in the NBA as well. At 6’6” he could play 4 positions for us and his basketball IQ was as high as anyone who ever played for me. If Ryan really decided that he wanted to be in the NBA then I think he could have made it. DH: You are not getting me into that 1! Ryan is 6’6” and can probably play 4 different positions. He is 1 heck of an athlete but Jason had 5″ on him, which makes a huge difference.
When people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? KB: A great person. When he comes into a room people light up and gravitate toward his presence. What separates him from a lot of people is his ability to be “different”: he has a work ethic and is willing to commit himself to what he wants to accomplish. He has great character and great parents and congratulates our team all the time: I cannot say enough about him. DH: The best way to say it is that he is 1 of 2 retired numbers that we have ever had. His name is on our court forever, which is a pretty good legacy.