Allen Iverson Honors Late Georgetown Coach John Thompson Who ‘Saved His Life’

Allen Iverson shared an emotional tribute in honor of legendary Georgetown University Hoyas coach John Thompson, who died Monday.

Thompson became the first Black head coach to win the NCAA championship in 1984 when he led the Hoyas to victory over the Houston Cougars. His 27-year coaching legacy includes the recruitment and mentoring of four Hall of Fame players. Thompson himself was inducted into the Hall of Fame back in 1999 and is widely credited for opening the door to a generation of minority coaches.

In 2016, Iverson tearfully thanked Thompson in his Hall of Fame speech, saying that he “saved his life.” He thanked him again, Monday morning, following the news of Thompson’s death.

“Thanks For Saving My Life Coach,” Iverson captioned his post. “I’m going to miss you, but I’m sure that you are looking down on us with a big smile. I would give anything just for one more phone call from you only to hear you say, “Hey MF”, then we would talk about everything except basketball.”

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Along with his impressive NBA career, Iverson has been a brand ambassador for the footwear giant Reebok since 1996. An original iteration of his first-ever signature shoe the Reebok Question hit stores this month.

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