classic jackets as part of its collection.
Thompson was an “outspoken champion of using universities to create educational opportunities for African Americans,” which is part of the reason why “this team became one in which African Americans across the country adopted,” the museum said.
In 1989, Thompson famously walked off the court to protest the NCAA’s decision to ban academically ineligible freshmen for receiving scholarships, which he believed unfairly targeted minority players.
“I am perceived as a success by standards created by white people. My team wins a lot of games; I make a lot of money. When I’m 80 and look back, is that going to make me think of myself as a success? I don’t think so,” he told The Washington Post in 1984.
“But if I change some things, even slightly — if I stand up on this platform I’ve been given and say, ‘No, this is wrong,’ then maybe I will feel good about myself. I may not change anything, and I know I’m going to upset some people. But I can live with that.”
Thompson, who played two seasons for the Boston Celtics, had a successful career as a high school coach before he was tapped to lead Georgetown’s team. He resigned as Georgetown’s head coach in 1999.
John Thompson Jr., “a mountain of a man.” Rest well, sir. Job well done.