76ers: Allen Iverson Pays Tribute to John Thompson

Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson recently paid tribute to former Georgetown head coach John Thompson on Monday.

Justin Grasso | Aug 31, 2020

76ers: Allen Iverson Pays Tribute to John Thompson /

The basketball world lost another great one on Monday. Hall of Fame College Basketball coach John Thompson passed away on Monday morning at the age of 78. Thompson spent 27 years coaching the Georgetown Hoyas from the 1972 season until 1999. During that time, Thompson achieved a record of 596-239.

In Philadelphia, Thompson is known as the coach who "saved" Philadelphia 76ers legend, Allen Iverson. Coming out of High School, Iverson needed proper guidance as his skillset on the basketball court could get him to go places. However, Iverson needed the right coach to put him on the correct path. And the coach who did that happened to be none other than John Thompson.

On Monday, Iverson took to Twitter to pay tribute to his former coach. "Thanks for saving my life coach," Iverson wrote via Twitter. "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. May you always rest in paradise, where there is no pain or suffering. I will always see your face in my mind, hoping that I made you proud. 'Your Prodigal Son'. #Hoya4Life."

Iverson linked up with Thompson during the 1994 NCAA Men's Basketball season. In his first season, Iverson was named the Big East Rookie of the Year. Although he only spent two seasons with Thompson at Georgetown before declaring for the NBA Draft, Iverson has always credited his college coach for a lot of his success.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_

Published Aug 31, 2020

JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA