Legendary Hall of Fame basketball coach George Raveling has passed away at the age of 88. The news was confirmed by his family on Tuesday, after a hard-fought battle with cancer.
“It is with deep sadness and unimaginable pain that we share the passing of our beloved “Coach,” George Henry Raveling, who faced cancer with courage and grace. He transitioned peacefully!” the statement begins.
The family continues: “There are no words to fully capture what George meant to his family, friends, colleagues, former players, and assistants — and to the world,” the family statement read. “He will be profoundly missed, yet his aura, energy, divine presence, and timeless wisdom live on in all those he touched and transformed.”
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Raveling’s life in sports started as a freshman in high school when he joined the basketball team and ultimately ended up with a roster spot while attending Villanova University, which earned him a role as a prolific rebounder. He entered the 1960 NBA Draft, where he was sent to the Philadelphia Warriors, but his ultimate calling was coaching. He’d return to Villanova for his first assistant coaching gig before heading to Maryland as the first Black coach in the ACC.
But he truly found his success when he took over Washington State’s team from 1972 to 1983, then Iowa, and eventually USC. His coaching career ended in 1994, finishing with a record of 336–292, and he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.Raveling’s family sheds light on his humble beginnings and his ability to achieve all this success while still remaining authentic.“Born in a segregated hospital and rising to the halls of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, George never lost his love for life, his resilience, his childlike curiosity, nor his unshakable belief in treating every person with dignity and respect,” the statement continued. “Beyond accolades, he remained a lifelong learner and a kind, beautiful soul—always finding ways to pour into others and inspire the next generation.”The late coach is also owed some gratitude from sneakerheads because he was the one who, during the 1984 Olympics, introduced Michael Jordan to Nike’s Sonny Vaccaro, which ultimately led to changing the face of sportswear around the world. Marlon Wayans played him in Ben Affleck’s 2023 film Air.
He’d later return to Nike as its Director for International Basketball in the mid-1990s.
Jordan also released a statement about Raveling’s death and how much he meant to him and his business success.
“I’m deeply saddened to hear about George’s passing. For more than 40 years, he blessed my life with wisdom, encouragement, and friendship,” he wrote. “He was a mentor in every sense and I’ll always carry deep gratitude for his guidance. I signed with Nike because of George, and without him, there would be no Air Jordan.”An even more impressive cultural tidbit is that he served as security for Martin Luther King Jr. during the March on Washington. Once the “I Have a Dream” speech was finished, Raveling asked if he could have the manuscript, and he handed it over.He was reportedly offered millions for the original but instead gave it to his alma mater, Villanova, though it’s now on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.See social media’s reaction to the loss below.
