Gary Thompson is a retired American basketball player and broadcaster.

As a senior in 1956–57, Thompson earned consensus second team All-American honors, first team All-America status from the Associated Press, and was named Big Seven Conference player of the year, beating out Kansas star Wilt Chamberlain.

Thompson excelled in a second sport as well, leading Iowa State to the 1957 College World Series as a star shortstop.

[1] Following the close of his standout college career, Thompson chose to join the Bartlesville Phillips 66ers of the Amateur Athletic Union, though he was also drafted in the fifth round of the 1957 NBA draft by the Minneapolis Lakers.

He also embarked on a 34-year television broadcasting career – serving as color commentator for college basketball games on NBC and CBS, primarily for Big Eight and later Big 12 games.