JUDY WOODRUFF: And Hall of Fame basketball
coach John Thompson has died. He made Georgetown
University a national champion and was outspoken
about matters of race.
Jeffrey Brown looks at his life.
MAN: Georgetown will finish the year.
JEFFREY BROWN: John Thompson Jr. made history
that day in 1984, becoming the first Black
head coach to win an NCAA title. He was known
for transforming Georgetown into a powerhouse
and molding basketball greats like Patrick
Ewing and Allen Iverson both on and off the
court.
ALLEN IVERSON, Former NBA Player: Coach Thompson
saved my life. No other schools were recruiting
me anymore. My mom went to Georgetown and
begged him to give me a chance. And he did.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
JEFFREY BROWN: Thompson saw his own role as
going beyond basketball.
JOHN THOMPSON, George University Head Basketball
Coach: I could use it to open a doorway for
myself or for other people. It was an educational
instrument for me.
JEFFREY BROWN: Thompson made a point of recruiting
Black athletes to the predominantly white
campus, and spoke out about injustices he
saw. In 1989, he famously walked off the court
before a game to protest an NCAA scholarship
rule he felt would hurt disadvantaged students.
JOHN THOMPSON: Because of the success we were
having as a basketball coach, and me being
an African American, I had an obligation to
say something about it. So, I did.
JEFFREY BROWN: The NCAA ultimately modified
the rule. John Thompson coached at Georgetown
for 27 seasons and won almost 600 games. He
was 78.
For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Jeffrey Brown.
