On Sunday, legendary college basketball coach John Thompson passed away. He left behind a legacy at Georgetown and also with the Boston Celtics. A lot of players took to Twitter to pay their respects, and among them was Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.
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“Coach Thompson was truly a great man and a legend in college basketball,” Jordan wrote. “He had such a profound impact on his players and was a father figure to so many of them. I admired him and love him dearly. My deepest condolences to his family and the Georgetown community.”
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When Michael Jordan ended Coach Thompson’s title run
Back in the 1982 NCAA Division 1, Jordan’s North Carolina Tarheels faced Thompson’s Georgetown Hoyas in the Championship game. After a close and competitive game, eventually, Jordan and the Tarheels came out on top after he scored a winner with less than 20 seconds to go.
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Two years later, Thompson got his title. In the 1984 Championship game, the Georgetown Hoyas, led by Patrick Ewing, beat Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Cougars 84-75 to take home the championship.
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Thompson had the honor of coaching many NBA greats like Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, and Dikembe Mutombo, but one of the closest to him was Allen Iverson. On many occasions, Iverson had praised Thompson, and yesterday he wrote an emotional note for his former coach.
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Thanks For Saving My Life Coach. I’m going to miss you, but I’m sure that you are looking down on us with a big smile. I would give anything just for one more phone call from you only to hear you say, “Hey MF”, then we would talk about everything except basketball……. pic.twitter.com/03yj4gZv5q
— Allen Iverson (@alleniverson) August 31, 2020
….May you always Rest in Paradise, where there is no pain or suffering. I will always see your face in my mind, hoping that I made you proud. “Your Prodigal Son”. #Hoya4Life pic.twitter.com/PberF54UqN
— Allen Iverson (@alleniverson) August 31, 2020
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As a player, Thompson had two rings in his two seasons he spent with the Celtics. And as the coach of the Hoyas, he had one NCAA championship and had a fantastic record of 596-236 in the 27 seasons he spent at Georgetown. He leaves behind a vibrant legacy and will go down as one of the best coaches in college history.
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