I Came As a Shadow

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John Thompson was more than a basketball coach, and this work transcends a typical sports autobiography. As the first Black head coach to win an NCAA championship, Thompson shares his journey through three decades at the intersection of race and sports in America. Filled with compelling stories and impressive achievements—three Final Fours, four-time national coach of the year, seven Big East championships, and a 97 percent graduation rate—his narrative spans from childhood under Jim Crow to today's racial reckoning. Readers will ride alongside Celtics legend Red Auerbach and witness Thompson coaching NBA icons like Patrick Ewing and Allen Iverson. He reveals the origins of "Hoya Paranoia" and discusses his negotiations with a DC drug kingpin connected to his players in the 1980s, as well as his role on the Nike board. Thompson's family background was marked by hardship; his mother, a teacher, could not teach due to her race, and his father identified cements by taste due to illiteracy. Thompson's legacy includes a statue on a campus historically tied to the sale of enslaved people. His story illuminates pressing national issues, establishing him as a vital voice in college basketball and beyond. This work serves as a powerful testament rather than a farewell, amplifying the insights of one of America's most significant figures.