#RestWell #Coach #JohnThompson! -xoxo #BrooklynGirlCode

Legendary Basketball Hall of Fame Coach John Thompson passed away surrounded by family at his Arlington, Virginia home on August 30th, 2020. In 1984, with the assistance of NBA legend Patrick Ewing, Coach Thompson became the first Black coach to lead an NCAA Division I basketball team to the national championship beating the Houston Cougars in the finals. During his tenure with the Georgetown Hoyas (1972-1999), Thompson lead his team to a 596-239 (.714) winning record. Thompson who was a Washington D.C. native was also a two-time NBA champion playing for the Boston Celtics alongside Bill Russell from 1964-1966. In 1988 at the Seoul Olympics, Thompson served as the head coach for the Unites States Men’s basketball team. Under Thompson’s instruction, retired NBA player and 2016 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Allen Iverson would go on to set the Georgetown University record for highest career scoring average (22.9 points per game). In 2017, Patrick Ewing took over as head coach for the Hoyas. However, it’s obvious that no one will ever make the same mark in Georgetown that Coach John Thompson made. Rest well to a true sports legend!

2 Johns. 2 Legends. Coach Thompson x Coach Chaney. Rest well to Coach John Thompson! Image courtesy of Temple Men’s Basketball Instagram.

Coach John Thompson at work in 1996. Image courtesy of the New York Times

Coach John Thompson with NBA legend Patrick Ewing at Georgetown University. In 1984, Ewing helped lead the Georgetown Hoyas to their first national championship. Image courtesy of Georgetown University Instagram.

Coach John Thompson and NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson sharing a laugh. Image courtesy of Allen Iverson’s Instagram.