Michael Jordan is joining the rest of the basketball world in mourning the loss of George Raveling on Tuesday.
Raveling, who is a member of the College Basketball and Naismith Memorial Basketball Halls of Fame, died Tuesday morning following a battle with cancer. The former Washington State, Iowa and USC head coach was 88 years old.
“There are no words to fully capture what George meant to his family, friends, colleagues, former players, and assistants — and to the world,” Raveling’s family said in a statement. “He will be profoundly missed, yet his aura, energy, divine presence, and timeless wisdom live on in all those he touched and transformed.”
After retiring from coaching in 1994 following a serious car accident, Raveling took over as Nike’s global basketball sports marketing director.
Before he became a full-time employee with the Swoosh, Raveling played a major part in the up-and-coming company signing Michael Jordan in 1984, a move that forever transformed basketball and the sneaker world.
‘There would be no Air Jordan’
Raveling was an assistant coach on the gold-medal winning United States Olympic basketball team in 1984, where he had the opportunity to work with Jordan.
That relationship helped Raveling guide His Airness to Nike. Raveling is played by Marlon Wayans in the movie Air, depicting the impact he had in the process.
In the foreword for Raveling’s book “What You’re Made For,” which was released earlier this year, Jordan said “if not for George, there would be no Air Jordan.”
On Tuesday, Jordan released a heartfelt statement after news of Raveling’s death went public.
“I’m deeply saddened to hear about George’s passing,” Jordan wrote. “For more than 40 years, he blessed my life with wisdom, encouragement, and friendship. He was a mentor in every season 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. He lived an extraordinary life, breaking barriers and paving the way for so many who came after him. My thoughts are with Delores, Mark, and George’s many, many friends.”
Remembering a legend
Jordan was far from the only basketball dignitary to offer a tribute to Raveling on Tuesday.
Social media was full of kind words from figures such as Jay Wright, Manu Ginobili, Marques Johnson, Jay Bilas, Dick Vitale, John Calipari, David Aldridge, Adam Silver, Dan Hurley and Kelvin Sampson.
Those are only a fraction of the high-profile names who honored Raveling publicly, indicating the type of influence he had throughout his decades in the sport.
