MSU's Tom Izzo on the Impact Former Players Can Have on a Program
Michigan State men's basketball is a program that prides itself in its alumni.
Not only had the program produced great talent that have gone on and excelled at the next level, but those same players are proud of their roots and make the effort to frequently return to the place where it all began.
The Spartans have an advantage in that regard.
"We just had our 'Grind Week,' which is where our pros come back, and our former players," Izzo said at Big Ten Basketball Media Days last week. "And Draymond [Green] gave a big lecture about that [legacy] and Jaren Jackson talked about it. And I think that's what helps build your culture, too. It's hard to build a culture now because there's so many guys coming and going. And what's sad is, some programs that have it are going to lose it. And then, if you don't have these former guys coming back -- I mean, would you rather listen to Draymond Green or Tom Izzo? Would you rather listen to Jaren Jackson or Magic Johnson? I mean, players or players. Just like we, as adults, would probably rather listen to each other than listen to some snot-nosed 20-year-old. But sometimes, those guys can say a lot of meaning, and when those guys speak, I think a lot of guys listen. So, legacy, people coming back, it's all part of the culture you develop. And I think culture is very important, but it's getting challenged right now, and we'll see what that means."
The good thing for Izzo and his program is that these players continue to come back. Xavier Tillman Sr., who just won an NBA title with the Boston Celtics, came back for Grind Week. As Izzo mentioned, Green, a four-time NBA champion and former Defensive Player of the Year, returned, as he does often. Earvin "Magic" Johnson, whom Izzo also referenced, is the greatest Michigan State basketball player of all-time, and he continues to show his love and support for the program he won a national title with.
Michigan State basketball is one of the most supported programs in all of college athletics when it comes to its alumni. While Izzo wonders if that culture is in jeopardy with this current landscape of college sports, the Spartan faithful can be happy that there's no signs of it leaving Michigan State anytime soon.
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