About John Thompson
Lived 1906 – 1990 (aged 84). John Thompson was an American basketball player and basketball coach.
John Ashworth "Cat" Thompson (February 10, 1906 – October 7, 1990) was an American basketball player.
He won the Utah state championship with Dixie High School team and finished second in the High School National Tournament in 1925. In college, he played for 3 seasons for Montana State, during which time his team had a record of 102–11. In 1929, he won the Helms Foundation Player of the Year award and his team won Helms National Championship . He averaged 15.4 points per game when the average team scored 40 points per game.
He was named All-America in 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930. He scored 1,539 points in 100 career college games he played. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1962.
A 2009 ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia named Thompson "one of the five greatest college hoops players of the first half of the 20th century"
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in John Thompson's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Related people
Same field, nearest in time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped John Thompson's
Frequently asked questions
Who was John Thompson?
American basketball player (1906–1990)
When was John Thompson born?
John Thompson was born on 10 February 1906 in St. George.
When did John Thompson die?
John Thompson died on 7 October 1990 in Idaho Falls.
What was John Thompson's occupation?
John Thompson was a basketball player and basketball coach.
What nationality was John Thompson?
John Thompson was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Thompson. https://biography.guide/john-thompson-basketball-player/
MLA: "John Thompson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-thompson-basketball-player/.
Chicago: "John Thompson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-thompson-basketball-player/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:19 UTC