John Robert Thompson Jr. (September 2, 1941 – August 31, 2020)

 
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Black20Ice
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 31, 2020 5:31 am    Post subject: John Robert Thompson Jr. (September 2, 1941 – August 31, 2020)

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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."

Thompson, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999, was a pioneer credited with opening the door for a generation of minority coaches. His national title run in 1984 was the first by a Black head coach and altered the perception of Black coaches.


https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/29777594/legendary-georgetown-coach-john-thompson-jr-dies-age-78
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Mike@LG
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 31, 2020 7:21 am    Post subject:

Rest in Peace, sir.
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jonnybravo
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 31, 2020 1:32 pm    Post subject:

Wow he was only 78?

During the 80s I thought he was at least in his 50s, early 60s.
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