John Thompson Jr, the Hall of Fame coach who elevated Georgetown basketball to national prominence, has died at 78.
“We are heartbroken to share the news of the passing of our father, John Thompson, Jr,” the Thompson family said in a statement this morning. “Our father was an inspiration to many and devoted his life to developing young people not simply on, but most importantly, off the basketball court. He is revered as a historic shepherd of the sport, dedicated to the welfare of his community above all else.”
Thompson will be remembered by college basketball fans as the first African American coach to lead a team to the NCAA championship, but that was a label he bristled from. As he told ESPN, “I might have been the first black person who was provided with an opportunity to compete for this prize, that you have discriminated against thousands of my ancestors to deny them this opportunity.”
In addition to winning the 1984 championship, Thompson led the Hoyas to three Final Fours and twenty NCAA tournament appearances, while compiling a 596-239 record during his 27-year tenure. His teams were defined by relentless defense and imposing centers such as Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, and Alonzo Mourning.
John Thompson’s legacy will be not what he did on the basketball court, but what he did off of it.
Thompson saw that there was more to life than just basketball. He kept a deflated basketball in his office to remind his players that they should have a plan for the future beyond basketball once the ball stopped bouncing. As he often said, “Don’t let eight pounds of air be the sum total of your existence.”
For Thompson, basketball was not the end goal, but rather a vehicle to opportunity, especially for black athletes. He walked out of two games in 1989 in protest of a racist NCAA rule that would have denied any financial aid to recruits who did not pass a minimum score on standardized tests. Thompson believed the rule was biased against underprivileged students and walked off the court right before the Hoyas were set to tip off a game against Boston College. The rule was later rescinded.
Thompson was a towering figure, both on and off the court. On the court, his 6-foot-10 frame was often seen roaming the sideline with a towel draped over his shoulder. Off the court, Thompson used the platform afforded to him as the head coach of Georgetown to fight against racism and social inequality. Despite the unpopularity of doing so, he held strong in his stances and convictions. Despite the words “Black Lives Matter” having yet to be said, Thompson certainly was fighting for that. He was far at the forefront of fighting for racial equality and for a better society.
In his life, “Big John” accomplished many lifetimes’ worth of achievement. He turned a program that had won three games the season prior to his hiring into a national powerhouse. At Georgetown, he connected the small Catholic school on a hill to the majority-black city of Washington, DC. He was a leader of men, a man who Allen Iverson credits with saving his life. He was far at the forefront of the struggle for equality and racial justice, fighting for opportunities for young black people.
The quote that is engraved by the statue of Thompson in the athletic center that bears his name reads, “When I’m gone, if I can’t go to Heaven, take me back to Georgetown.”
His legacy on the Hilltop will last forever.
Rest in peace, Coach.
