It's been a tough year and along the way we've had to say goodbye to some of the greats.

John Lewis, Kobe Bryant, Little Richard, and over the weekend the actor Chadwick Boseman

are Black superhero.

Then on Sunday we lost a real life superhero.

John Thompson Jr., the renowned Georgetown University basketball coach.

John Thompson had built his Georgetown basketball team on a simple philosophy while a hot offense

could turn cold at the wrong time, defense remains a custom.

John Thompson was a towering figure in many ways.

He stood six feet ten inches tall and was a champion as a high school player then in

college.

And he won two championship rings with the Boston Celtics.

When his playing days were over, Thompson went on to inspire a new generation as the

hit coach of the Georgetown Hoyas.

When he got there, the team was pretty much irrelevant, a doormat.

But he built them into a powerhouse, seven biggies titles and three final fours, including

a national championship in 1984, becoming the first Black head coach to win the title.

In his 27 seasons at Georgetown, Thompson coached 26 NBA draft picks, including Patrick

Ewing, Alonzo Morning, DeKembe Matumbo, and of course the one and only Alan Iverson.

But I must admit, I'm a big sixers fan, so Iverson is the man.

Thompson also coached the US Olympic team to gold and bronze medals in 1976 and 88.

But Thompson will be most remembered for what he did when practices wrapped and the games

ended.

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