Ronald Thompson is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 former college basketball coach and current Emmy Award

Emmy Award

An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...

-winning broadcaster for Comcast SportsNet

Comcast SportsNet

Comcast SportsNet is a group of regional sports networks in the United States primarily owned by the Comcast cable television company....

, based in Bethesda, Maryland

Bethesda, Maryland

Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...

. He is the son of Gwen Thompson and former Georgetown University

Georgetown University

Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...

 head coach John R. Thompson, Jr., whose children also include a daughter, Tiffany, and current Georgetown coach John Thompson III

John Thompson III

John Thompson III is the current head coach of the men's basketball team at Georgetown University. He grew up in Washington, D.C. and was named first team All-Metro by The Washington Post while playing for Gonzaga College High School in 1984. Thompson was hired on April 20, 2004 to replace Craig...

.

A native Washingtonian, Ron spent his formative years on basketball courts in the Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the metropolitan area. He contributed on AAU

AAU

-Education:* Aalborg University, in Denmark* Academy of Art University,in San Francisco* Addis Ababa University, in Ethiopia* Allied American University, brand used by Allied Schools in California, United States* Alpen-Adria-University of Klagenfurt, in Austria...

 teams in that region and played high school basketball for coach Stu Vetter at Flint Hill School

Flint Hill School

Flint Hill School, founded in 1956, is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school, in Oakton, Virginia, in the United States. Its campus is located in the heart of Fairfax County close to the Vienna Metro and just off major routes into Washington, DC and the Dulles Technology...

 in Oakton, Virginia

Oakton, Virginia

Oakton is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the United States. The population was 29,348 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 22124.-Geography:Oakton is located at...

. In 1992, Thompson graduated from Georgetown University as a four-year basketball letterman with a degree in Sociology. After a brief stint as a trading assistant with Prudential Securities

Prudential Securities

Prudential Securities was the financial services arm of the insurer, Prudential Financial. In 2003, Prudential Securities was merged into Wachovia Securities, a division of Wachovia Bank.-History:...

 in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, he became an assistant coach, first at the University of Oregon

University of Oregon

-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...

, then with Loyola College in Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

. His career in professional sports began as a video coordinator for Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...

 coach Larry Brown

Larry Brown

-Athletes:* Larry Brown , former NHL ice hockey player* Larry Brown , , NCAA, ABA and NBA player and coach-American football:* Larry Brown , NFL cornerback and Super Bowl MVP...

 and the Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...

; shortly afterward, he became a 76ers scout. Thompson next returned to his alma mater as an assistant, and took a similar role at the University of Arkansas

University of Arkansas

The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...

 at Fayetteville

Fayetteville

Fayetteville is the name of a number of places in the United States of America. Many are named for General Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, a French officer who fought under General George Washington in the American Revolutionary War....

 before assuming head coaching duties at Ball State University

Ball State University

Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...

. He tried to coach Ball State during the 2006-07 season and posted a disappointing 9-22 record before leaving. Both Coach Thompson's and Ball State have differing stories on what happened which lead to his departure.

Ron joined Comcast SportsNet in 2007, offering pre-game/postgame analysis for the Washington Wizards

Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...

 and color commentary for college games. He also hosted the series "My Life 365 with Ron Thompson," which featured interviews with the nation's preeminent athletes and media figures. His subjects included sports/media moguls Ted Leonsis

Ted Leonsis

Theodore John Leonsis is an Internet pioneer, sports team owner, venture capital investor, filmmaker, author and philanthropist. His early new media company, Redgate Communications was acquired by America Online in 1994, and Leonsis became a senior AOL executive for the next 13 years...

 and Sheila Johnson

Sheila Johnson

Sheila Crump Johnson is the team president, managing partner, and governor of the WNBA's Washington Mystics, a position she gained before the 2005 season. On May 24, 2005, Washington Sports and Entertainment Chairman, Abe Pollin, sold the Mystics to Lincoln Holdings LLC, where Johnson served as...

, former Duke University

Duke University

Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...

 swingman Grant Hill

Grant Hill

Grant Hill is the name of:* Grant Hill, American basketball player* Grant Hill , Canadian politician* Grant Hill, San Diego, California, an urban neighboorhood in central San Diego...

, Georgetown teammate Alonzo Mourning

Alonzo Mourning

Alonzo Harding Mourning, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player, who played most of his 15-year NBA career for the Miami Heat....

, and legendary Hoyas guard Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson

Allen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball point guard and shooting guard. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season...

 (the latter for which Thompson received an Emmy). Thompson also conducted a rare, exclusive interview with Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

 guard Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...

 months before the NBA star helped secure their seventeenth franchise title. (In the summer of 2010, Thompson served as director of the Kobe Bryant/Nike Summer Basketball Camp which toured China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

.)

Ron is also a contributor to NBA TV

NBA TV

NBA TV is a television specialty channel that is dedicated to showcasing the sport of basketball in the United States. The network is financially backed by the National Basketball Association , which also uses NBA TV as a way of advertising their out of market package NBA League Pass, and partner...

 and occasionally serves as guest-host for "The John Thompson Show," broadcast daily on-air/online from ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...

.