David Thompson

Thompson scored 73 points in the final regular season game of 1977-78 in an attempt to win the scoring title over George Gervin — the fourth-highest single-game total in NBA history at the time.

His vertical leap was measured at 44 inches, one of the highest in basketball history, earning him the Skywalker nickname that captured his ability to seemingly float above defenders.

Thompson led NC State to the 1974 national championship over an undefeated UCLA team that had won 88 consecutive games — considered one of the greatest upsets in college basketball history.

He was widely considered the most talented player in the world in the late 1970s before personal struggles derailed a career that many believe could have been historically great.