George Raveling, a basketball visionary and author, passed away on Monday evening.
The Hall of Fame basketball coach who played a role in Michael Jordan signing a landmark endorsement deal with Nike was 88.
Raveling’s family said Tuesday in a statement that he had “faced cancer with courage and grace.”
“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.”
Raveling, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015, had a career record of 335-293 from 1972-94 at Washington State, Iowa and Southern California. He had a losing record in his first season at each school before making multiple trips to the NCAA Tournament.
His success at those programs landed Raveling on the U.S. Olympic basketball staffs in 1984 and 1988.
Jordan was on the 1984 team that won gold at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and Raveling helped convince him to sign with Nike. He introduced Jordan to Sonny Vaccaro at Nike, which helped lead to a contract that gave Jordan his own brand, made him millions of dollars and changed the athletic apparel industry.
Raveling also owned the original copy of the “I Have a Dream” speed by Martin Luther King Jr. He was working security at the 1963 March on Washington in which King delivered one of the most famous speeches in American history.
As Dr. King was exiting, Raveling saw him and asked if he could have the speech, and the reverend handed it to him. Raveling held on to the copy until 2021, when he donated it to his alma mater, Villanova.
He played at Villanova from 1957-60, averaged double-double, 12.3 points and 14.6 rebounds, over his last two seasons. The Philadelphia Warriors drafted Raveling in the eighth round in 1960, but he didn’t play in the NBA.
“The finest human being, inspiring mentor, most loyal alum and a thoughtful loving friend,” Jay Wright, who coached Villanova to national championships in 2016 and 2018, posted on X. “Coach Raveling lived his life for others; His heart was restless and kind and now rests In the lord!”
NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson said in a prepared statement:
“The passing of George Raveling is a tremendous loss for the game of basketball and American society at large. Coach Raveling’s influence is evident throughout basketball history, from his renowned tactical expertise, his passionate advocacy for coaches and the NABC, his contributions to USA Basketball’s ascension on the international level, and his visionary leadership in furthering the commercial growth of college and professional sports.
“ Beyond basketball, Coach Raveling was one of the foremost role models for how coaches can utilize their influential platforms to impact societal change and advance the cause of racial equality. Coach Raveling personally invested in the professional and personal lives of countless coaches – including myself – and on behalf of the NABC, I offer my deepest condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time. Simply put, George Raveling will never be forgotten.”
— Associated Press contributed to this report
