Born in Washington, D.C. in 1941, John Thompson Jr. was a game-changer in local, college and professional basketball, who turned Georgetown University into a global basketball treasure.
Thompson grew up in Southeast D.C. and went on to play in the NBA for the Boston Celtics.
He worked as a guidance counselor and head coach at St. Anthony High School in Washington, D.C. from 1966 to 1972, compiling a 122–28 record.
From St. Anthony’s, Thompson went on to become a Georgetown legend and NCAA barrier-breaker.
Thompson served as head coach for the Georgetown Hoyas from 1972-1999, winning the NCAA Championship in 1983-84, the first African American to win the national title.
One of the trademarks of the Thompson-coached team was its supreme conditioning. He stressed a strong conditioning regimen that focused on wearing down their opponents to give his team an advantage when the game was on the line.
He led the Hoyas to three NCAA Final Four appearances in the 1980s, won seven Big East Conference titles, and helped shape NBA stars such as Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, and Allen Iverson.
“This is a person that, when I came to college, I was 18, helped me to grow,” Ewing said in an interview with ESPN. “Even though my mom and dad were always there, he was always a person I could pick up the phone and call if I had a problem or if I had a question.”
Thompson also coached the U.S. national team to a bronze medal in the 1988 Olympics.
The basketball icon’s family remembered his influence on and off the court, as they reflected on his life when he died in September 2020 at the age of 78.
“Our father was an inspiration to many and devoted his life to developing young people not simply on, but most importantly, off the basketball court. He is revered as a historic shepherd of the sport, dedicated to the welfare of his community above all else.”
