Muhammad Ali's magic left lasting memory for Tom Izzo
Tom Izzo gushes about the time that he invited Muhammad Ali to a Michigan State basketball game and was stunned by the manner in which the legendary boxer and humanitarian fired up his team.
It was the winter of 2000, and it wasn’t just any ho-hum game. The Spartans, with star players Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson, were hosting defending national Connecticut.
An inspiring pregame speech?
That’s what Izzo was expecting when Ali came to the locker room before the game.
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Instead, Ali got the team’s attention by performing…a magic show.
“We’ve got a game in about 40 minutes, and he’s doing magic tricks!” Izzo recalled to USA TODAY Sports. “I couldn’t believe it. I told somebody, ‘We’re either going to kick the hell out of that team, or we’re going to get our butts kicked.’
“We were up 51-19 at halftime.”
Ali’s appearance provided an unforgettable snapshot during a special season for the Spartans, who crushed UConn 85-66 and ultimately went on to win the national championship.
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The memories came rushing back for Izzo in the wake of Ali’s passing on Friday night. He said Ali watched the game from his wife Lupe’s box, yet with the contest out of hand he set up a table outside of the box and signed autographs throughout the second half.
“That was a special guy,” Izzo said.
The campus visit was just one measure of the champ's connection with that team. Later that spring, Ali invited the then-championship team to his compound in Berrien Springs, Mich., to help celebrate the ninth birthday of his son, Asaad, who had watched the rout of UConn from the scorer’s table.
Izzo remembers how Ali playfully sparred with every player during their visit.
Over the course of his career as one college basketball’s most successful coaches, Izzo has been to the White House and met Presidents. He’s met many famous people from all walks of life. And Magic Johnson is still a close supporter of his program.
“To me, all of the great things, if you added them all up,” Izzo said, “it still isn’t as cool as the two days with Ali. That’s the truth.”
Follow Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell.
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