As he had done so often in his career, the Skywalker rose above the competition.
It was 35 years ago that Nuggets forward David “Skywalker” Thompson scored 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting to lead the West to a victory over the East at the 1979 NBA All-Star Game in Detroit.
Thompson also had five rebounds and was named the game’s MVP after he and Nuggets teammate George McGinnis helped the West beat Julius Erving, George Gervin and the East squad 134-129.
Thompson went on to average 24 points in 76 games for Denver during the 1978-79 season. He remains the only Nuggets player to be named MVP of the All-Star Game.