 A regular starter for most of the first part of his career, in 1992–1993 Thompson moved to a role as the tough-nosed veteran off the bench, as Rik Smits and Dale Davis started every game in which they played.Thompson was a key reserve on the first Pacers team to reach the Eastern Conference Finals series, in 1993–1994.After the 1994–1995 season, Thompson signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, playing there for a year before going to the Denver Nuggets.