John Thompson Jr 1941-2020

[DanMcQ]

wjla.com/news/local/former-georgetown-coach-john-thompson-dies

We spoke with former ABC7 sports anchor Lou Holder on Good Morning Washington Monday morning, who called Thompson the "real-life Black Panther."

"He was larger than life for Black people, for mankind, for social justice," he said.

Interview video at link above

[DanMcQ]

[skunk]

Rest In Peace legend

[DanMcQ]

[DanMcQ]

[DanMcQ]

[DanMcQ]

[calhoya]

On a personal level he inspired men like my father who relished the sight of this massive man dominating the sideline like no other black coach had done before, (with apologies to John Chaney). He defiantly introduced social issues into a sport that had too long ignored them. He preached that young basketball players could and should aspire to be more than their skills on the court. He defied many of the conventional wisdoms of his day and demanded to be seen and heard even to the point of engendering hate from opposing fans and those in the media who resented his controlled access to his players, preferring instead to remind them of the importance of school as they entered their freshmen year. Not a saint by any means but someone who found a platform to make a difference and used it despite criticisms from casual fans who resented this intruder who did not play by the rules that had been accepted for too long. A big physical presence on the court and an even bigger presence off the court.

I met this man several times and he was anything but the intimidating presence so often portrayed in the media. I remember him listening patiently as my then-elderly, mother explained his importance to my father, and teasing her that my mother could have done better. I remember him coming over to us after finishing a loud conversation with another person and apologizing for cussing in front of my children and laughing his deep laugh as I told him they had heard much worse from their grandmother. I know and understand why many have long spoken of the need for the program to move on from the "Thompson era" and now it will have to. I just hope that in this transition, many of the principles he advocated will not be lost.

[TB]

I am greatly sadden by the passing of Big John Thompson Jr. He will not be forgotten by me for what he stood for and the man he was. God Bless!!

[sleepyjackson21]

RIP Coach! Sad.

[Deleted]

He improved the lives of the kids he taught, the Georgetown community, and the country as a whole.

There's no more you can ask of a man.

RIP

[MCIGuy]

Man, this 2020.


Toast to you, coach.

Rest In Power.

[DanMcQ]

[tribeninerhoya]

Requiescat in pace

[hoyaroc]

Rest In Peace Big Coach. John Thompson Jr legacy will live on as one of the best coaches in college basketball history.

[SSHoya]

Tempus fugit. Lute Olson passed away on August 27th. To me, Hoya basketball really arrived on the national scene in that loss to Iowa in the Spectrum in 1980. Now Pops gone. RIP.

[x-centercourt400s]

Legendary Georgetown coach John Thompson Jr. dies at age 78 by Myron Medcalf, ESPN

"Legendary Georgetown coach John Thompson Jr., known simply as "Big John" throughout college basketball, has died at age 78.

Thompson, who led Georgetown to the 1984 national championship, built the program into a juggernaut, taking the Hoyas to three Final Fours in the 1980s while also winning seven Big East titles and leading the 1988 United States national team to a bronze medal in the Olympics.

His coaching legacy includes the recruitment and development of four players in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo and Allen Iverson.

"This is a person that, when I came to college -- I was 18 -- helped me to grow," Ewing, the current Georgetown coach, said during Big East media day last October. "Even though my mom and dad were always there, he was always a person I could pick up the phone and call if I had a problem or if I had a question.""

www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/29777594/legendary-georgetown-coach-john-thompson-jr-dies-age-78

[vv83]

As a white kid from Long Island who grew up in a completely white community when I arrived at Georgetown in 1979- Thompson was really the first person who ever challenged me to think about race more deeply, through his leadership of the program. The basketball part was great, but Thompson's commitment to challenging racial injustice will always be, by far, the most important thing about our coach for me.

[757hoya]

Great coach, even greater man.

Rest in power Big John 🙏

Prayers to the entire Thompson family.

[hoyainla]

RIP to a great coach and an even better man.