The death of the legendary Georgetown University former men’s basketball coach John Thompson brought back several memories. I did not know him personally. But I did have several personal interactions with him over the years. And they were telling.
My interactions with him were 25-30 years ago when I officiated basketball in Washington, D.C. The first incident took place at Sidwell Friends High School as I sat and watched a summer varsity game being played and waited for my JV contest to start. There are only a few rows of seats on the side. It’s tight.
As I focused on the game, I felt a HUGE presence sit next to me on my left. I remember thinking, “Man, that’s a big person, whoever it is.” I continued to focus on the officials and players, before slowly glimpsing to my left and looking the individual up and down and my eyes having to go way up to see all of the individual next to me due to his height.
I thought, “Whoa, that’s John Thompson.” Within minutes of me saying hi, he shook my hand, smiled and we began a lengthy conversation about high school basketball talent, officiating and who he was looking to recruit that day. It astounded me how open he was, congenial, warm. He listened, asked great questions, made me comfortable as a young man who could have been intimidated by his size and presence.
As I officiated longer in the D.C., I moved up to varsity games and slowly into some smaller college games. In the D.C. area, there is a lot of top collegiate talent. That offers you some opportunities to work scrimmages and learn the college rules as a way to improve and prepare if you want to move deeper into the collegiate ranks.
John Thompson would bring officials from our local board over the Georgetown to work his scrimmages. I knew this was a unique opportunity the first time this surfaced for me, and I immediately agreed to the request from a fellow official to join him for a preseason scrimmage. I was in for a treat and a lesson.
Not knowing what to expect, we walked into the gym dressed and ready to go. You forget there will be no one in the stands because you are in the team’s practice gym. If silence could be a sound, that’s what we heard. Current North Carolina men’s basketball coach Roy Williams was sitting at the top of the small set of bleachers, observing quietly.
Thompson held court. His players circled him, sitting on the floor, mesmerized by his presence. Thompson preached that day. Quietly, he shared lessons. No one spoke. Every word was absorbed. We said nothing on the sideline.
This went on for a good 10-15 minutes. He was a teacher, a preacher. A good one. One who wanted to uplift his players, help them learn about the world and how they can make it a better place by how they acted on the court, played the game and focused on their school.
I was blessed to see this firsthand. See how Coach Thompson strove to influence the next generation of young African American men to do the right thing. He did many great things in his life, but those young men will miss him the most, I’m sure, and his positive influence will continue in the coming years.
My interactions with him were 25-30 years ago when I officiated basketball in Washington, D.C. The first incident took place at Sidwell Friends High School as I sat and watched a summer varsity game being played and waited for my JV contest to start. There are only a few rows of seats on the side. It’s tight.
As I focused on the game, I felt a HUGE presence sit next to me on my left. I remember thinking, “Man, that’s a big person, whoever it is.” I continued to focus on the officials and players, before slowly glimpsing to my left and looking the individual up and down and my eyes having to go way up to see all of the individual next to me due to his height.
I thought, “Whoa, that’s John Thompson.” Within minutes of me saying hi, he shook my hand, smiled and we began a lengthy conversation about high school basketball talent, officiating and who he was looking to recruit that day. It astounded me how open he was, congenial, warm. He listened, asked great questions, made me comfortable as a young man who could have been intimidated by his size and presence.
As I officiated longer in the D.C., I moved up to varsity games and slowly into some smaller college games. In the D.C. area, there is a lot of top collegiate talent. That offers you some opportunities to work scrimmages and learn the college rules as a way to improve and prepare if you want to move deeper into the collegiate ranks.
John Thompson would bring officials from our local board over the Georgetown to work his scrimmages. I knew this was a unique opportunity the first time this surfaced for me, and I immediately agreed to the request from a fellow official to join him for a preseason scrimmage. I was in for a treat and a lesson.
Not knowing what to expect, we walked into the gym dressed and ready to go. You forget there will be no one in the stands because you are in the team’s practice gym. If silence could be a sound, that’s what we heard. Current North Carolina men’s basketball coach Roy Williams was sitting at the top of the small set of bleachers, observing quietly.
Thompson held court. His players circled him, sitting on the floor, mesmerized by his presence. Thompson preached that day. Quietly, he shared lessons. No one spoke. Every word was absorbed. We said nothing on the sideline.
This went on for a good 10-15 minutes. He was a teacher, a preacher. A good one. One who wanted to uplift his players, help them learn about the world and how they can make it a better place by how they acted on the court, played the game and focused on their school.
I was blessed to see this firsthand. See how Coach Thompson strove to influence the next generation of young African American men to do the right thing. He did many great things in his life, but those young men will miss him the most, I’m sure, and his positive influence will continue in the coming years.
