Jason Thompson will watch his teammates receive NBA championship rings Tuesday night. That’s heady stuff for a seven-year veteran who has participated in more regular-season games without a playoff appearance (541) than any other active player.
But it stretches deeper: Thompson hasn’t played on a team that won even 30 games in a season. He spent the first seven years of his career with Sacramento, and the Kings’ best record during that time was 29-53 last season.
So he hasn’t even sniffed the playoffs.
Now, after two summer trades sent him to the 76ers and then the Warriors, Thompson finds himself with the reigning champs.