Hoops Habit
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25 Best International Players Of All Time

By Matthew Hallett

Nov 29, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka (9) dunks the ball against Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka (9) dunks the ball against Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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BOSTON, MA - JUNE 1987: Kevin McHale #32 of the Boston Celtics does a reverse layup on Mychal Thompson #43 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1987 NBA Basketball Finals at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Lakers won the Championship 4 games to 2. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – JUNE 1987: Kevin McHale #32 of the Boston Celtics does a reverse layup on Mychal Thompson #43 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1987 NBA Basketball Finals at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Lakers won the Championship 4 games to 2. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

19. Mychal Thompson, Bahamas

Perhaps Mychal Thompson will be best known by this generation of fans as being the father of Klay Thompson. Mychal was an amazing player in his own right.

Thompson was the No. 1 pick in the 1978 draft, the same draft the Larry Bird was taken with the sixth pick (as a junior eligible). Thompson was the first-ever internationally born player taken at No. 1.

Portland may have wanted their pick again knowing how their careers panned out, but in Thompson they got an extremely solid player who in his third season averaged 20.8 points, 11.7 points and 4.0 assists per game.

More hoops habit: 50 Greatest NBA Players Not in the Hall of Fame

Thompson’s career averages were less than this however as he developed into a solid second-, third- or fourth-option on any team he played on. But he was never the star a No. 1 pick is expected to be.

His career numbers were 13.7 points at 50.4 percent from the field, 7.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. Good numbers for a combination power forward/center.

As you would hope from the No. 1 draft pick he made the All-Rookie first team. His true success did not come until he went to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Thompson teamed up with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy and A.C. Green to win the 1987 and 1988 NBA championships.

Next: No. 18 Serge Ibaka