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College coaches honor late John Thompson with commemorative towels

Leonard Hamilton/Twitter

Men's college basketball coaches are coming together this week to pay tribute to the late John Thompson Jr.

Florida State's Leonard Hamilton, Nebraska's Fred Hoiberg, Purdue's Matt Painter, and others wore towels commemorating the longtime Georgetown coach during their games Monday and Tuesday.

"John Thompson was an icon in our profession, and we wanted to make sure his legacy was celebrated in a prominent way this season," NABC executive director Craig Robinson said in a press release.

"Big John not only achieved the highest levels of coaching success during his career, but he also paved the way for more equitable opportunities for countless Black student-athletes and coaches - me included."

Thompson coached at Georgetown from 1972 to 1999, leading the Hoyas to a national championship in 1984. He passed away in August at the age of 78.

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