McNeal: The Record Belongs to Thompson

[mu_hilltopper]

Michael Hunt has a great article about McNeal and Thompson today...

Thompson gracious about mark

Posted: Feb. 12, 2009 9:07 p.m.

Asked to reflect Thursday on finally losing the all-time Marquette men's basketball scoring record, the one he held for 40 years, George Thompson said: "If I say to you, 'No, I'm not upset,' you wouldn't believe me. But I'm not."

Believe him.

Believe Thompson because you should've heard his reaction when Travis Diener fell just short four years ago.

Diener was about to break the record before he broke his thumb instead during the latter days of his senior season. When I called Thompson not long after the injury, the man struggled to get through the conversation. Thompson felt so bad for Diener that he began to cry.

Without regard for himself, Thompson cared that much for the kid. He cared that much for Marquette.

So when his record finally went down Tuesday during the Golden Eagles' loss at Villanova, when Jerel McNeal surpassed the 1,773 points Thompson had scored as a Warrior, it was still about the kid and the school.

"What I really wanted to see was for them to win the basketball game and for him to come up five or six points short so he could do it at home with drama, where the fans could go crazy and explode," Thompson said.

Otherwise, this wasn't a bad way to pass a torch that had been burning so brightly for four decades. There was McNeal inside the Al McGuire Center on Thursday, humbly acknowledging the man who set the record in just three seasons, without the benefit of a three-point shot.

"The record will always be his," McNeal said. "It's amazing what he did. In my mind, the record belongs to him."

And there was Thompson, earnestly praising McNeal for doing it the right way, for staying in school all four years, for staying on track to get his degree.

"I have the utmost respect for Jerel," Thompson said.

They hugged outside the locker room, with McNeal calling his predecessor "Mr. Thompson."

"Come on, stop it," Thompson chided someone who was giving him a hard time.

But there were laughs all around, because it's good to have Thompson back.

Five years ago, when Thompson left his position as the Marquette radio analyst, there was a disconnect between the legend and the program. But since the coaching change, Thompson is around much more now. And that's good for Marquette to again have such an ambassador in its corner.

After a wild ride around the old American Basketball Association, the native New Yorker remained in Milwaukee when he finished his basketball career with the Bucks. And he's still hanging around after retiring from Briggs & Stratton, although he was quick to say, "In a week you won't be able to get hold of me, because I'll be back down in the Bahamas."

The 6-foot-2 guard they once called "Tip" admitted that he hasn't picked up a basketball in three years.

"There's not enough Tylenol in the world for me to play full-court basketball again," he said.

So he can't knock 'em down anymore?

"I didn't say my jumper was gone," Thompson said with a laugh.

Asked what the scoring record meant to him, Thompson said it was once his calling card. But that was before McNeal, and soon Dominic James will pass him by as well.

"That's how I was introduced," Thompson said. "Now, people will say, 'This is George Thompson. He used to have the record. Now, he has three or four guys ahead of him.' "

But there will always be only one George Thompson. As McNeal said, it's still his record in spirit.

[The Lens]

Diener was about to break the record before he broke his thumb instead during the latter days of his senior season. When I called Thompson not long after the injury, the man struggled to get through the conversation. Thompson felt so bad for Diener that he began to cry.

Without regard for himself, Thompson cared that much for the kid. He cared that much for Marquette.

So when his record finally went down Tuesday during the Golden Eagles' loss at Villanova, when Jerel McNeal surpassed the 1,773 points Thompson had scored as a Warrior, it was still about the kid and the school.

"What I really wanted to see was for them to win the basketball game and for him to come up five or six points short so he could do it at home with drama, where the fans could go crazy and explode," Thompson said

Just goes to show the absolute class of a man who was, is and always will be Marquette Basketball.

[4everwarriors]

Couldn't agree more. Brute Force will always be part of the Warrior family in spite of the arrogant, classless prick who tried to insult and alienate a legend in Marquette basketball. The absolute gall of the phony bs'er is amazing.

[augoman]

I agree, George will continue to hold the record for the most points scored at MU in 3 seasons.  He will continue to hold the record for the most points scored w/o a 3-point shot, for now.  Jerel holds the record for the most points scored at MU in a career, unless they decide to count George's freshman scoring.

[ErickJD08]

I love it when MU has players but character is so much more important.  And I love these kids for it.  They play exactly how I love the game to be played... Gutsy, heart, pride, and class. 

PS: Any one see Wade with the US flag band aid on his face.  It is what it is but I love the US Pride.  We need it today with our kids.

[romey]

Very classy people - both of them.  Since it was mentioned above, I wonder how many points Thompson scored as a freshman.  Are there stats for that somewhere?

[THEGYMBAR]

#24 is a great face to MU basketball. Records are kept to be broken and BF held a record for an unbelievable amount of time considering 4 years versus 3 years and 3 point line. McNeal is the school's leading scorer and the numbers prove it.

All I can say is thank you George Thompson for being a great ambassador for MU ball for nearly four decades. He is and continues to be one cool dude!!!!!

[MU gimp ONE]

I love it when MU has players but character is so much more important.  And I love these kids for it.  They play exactly how I love the game to be played... Gutsy, heart, pride, and class. 

PS: Any one see Wade with the US flag band aid on his face.  It is what it is but I love the US Pride.  We need it today with our kids.

agreed, we have some great kids on the team.  i also love how it took a coaching change to bring George back into the program.

also, wade took a hit to the face the other night in a game and has 6 stitches under his eye.  he wasn't wearing it for just a fashion statement like the rapper Nelly.  However, i think it's awesome wade showing the US pride and all.  he's been a great ambassador for US basketball.

[WarriorHal]

Couldn't agree more. Brute Force will always be part of the Warrior family in spite of the arrogant, classless prick who tried to insult and alienate a legend in Marquette basketball. The absolute gall of the phony bs'er is amazing.

I recall Crean giving Lazar George's number as a freshman, claiming the jersey, not the number, was retired. Total BS. But George had already left the radio broadcast team at that point. Any insights into what happened and why...what was Crean's problem with George?

[4everwarriors]

Simple, George wouldn't kiss his ring.

[ErickJD08]

Simple, George wouldn't kiss his ring.

Never heard it called "ring" before. 

[shaquilvaine]

was listening to the world's greatest sports show on the way home from work and Homer aired a great brief interview of Al in which Al said " George when he played was one of the ten greatest players of all time, but nobody knew it at the time and I never said that before.  George would take the ball at the end of the game and go strong to the rim and take whoever was guarding him with him. " I think based on those comments one can infer that George was the greatest player that George ever coached and that is darn good company.  Would've loved to see Brute Force play... is there any video out there as he was before my time?

[THEGYMBAR]

Shaq---Al may have stretched the point a tad but BF was the real deal. He was a man playing with boys at the college level. He was so strong and extremely tough defend. I love George but he was surpassed by 3-4 players at MU as the best ever, making being top 10 of all time quite difficult:).

[wildbill sb]

Shaq---Al may have stretched the point a tad but BF was the real deal. He was a man playing with boys at the college level. He was so strong and extremely tough defend. I love George but he was surpassed by 3-4 players at MU as the best ever, making being top 10 of all time quite difficult:).

If I remember correctly, BF was invited to an NFL tryout upon graduation.  Anyone else have that recollection?

[mu_hilltopper]

(cough)

http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/george_thompson

Trivia

    *      He was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the 1969 AFL Draft as a defensive back/wide receiver.

[DoubleMU0609]

(cough)

http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/george_thompson

Trivia

    *      He was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the 1969 AFL Draft as a defensive back/wide receiver.

Somebody get Topper a Ricola!  He seems to be coughing quite a bit lately.