Thompson began coaching at the university in 1972 and won nearly 600 games in his storied career.
Georgetown honored a legend before the Hoyas took the floor against Syracuse—its former Big East rival—on Saturday at Capital One Arena. The Hoyas renamed their home court to John Thompson Jr. Court in honor of the program’s legendary coach who died in 2020 at the age of 78.
Members of Thompson’s family, as well as former Georgetown stars like Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo, sat courtside to watch the program honor the Hoyas legend.
Thompson, who was known for wearing a white towel on his shoulder, began coaching at Georgetown in 1972 following the Hoyas’ three-win season. In ’84, Thompson became the first Black head coach to lead a team to a national championship.
While winning was important to Thompson, he never shied away from speaking his mind and standing up for social justice issues. On Saturday, the program was also awarded the first John Thompson Jr. Award—an honor given to a school that strives to fight prejudice and discrimination and advance positive societal change—by the Big East.
Before a first-round matchup against Colorado in the 2021 NCAA tournament, Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing and his players kneeled, which came nearly a year after the death and murder of George Floyd.
Georgetown (5–4) defeated Syracuse 79–75 on Saturday.
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