If you’ve watched an ounce of college basketball, you know that Michigan State men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo is a wee bit emotional. It’s who he is, and we love him for it. If you’ve ever wondered about Izzo’s emotions off the court, below is a video of a heartfelt speech he made at Lacey Hosworth’s vigil.
In case you haven’t heard about the story of Lacey Hosworth, LansingStateJournal.com does a really nice job describing Lacey’s relationship with Spartans’ star player, Adreian Payne. Lacey was an eight year old angel and one of the most heartwarming stories we’ve seen in sports all year.
Lacey befriended Payne and the two became friends. Real friends, not fake friends. Payne is a high-profile player on a high-profile team, likely leading to a busy schedule. He didn’t have to become friends with Lacey, he wanted to. The reason this story is so inspiring, isn’t because Payne simply made a visit to cheer up Lacey, as we often seen. Payne did more than the norm, he showed us that he’s a good person. A good human being.
Adreian Payne is a special person. As was Lacey Holsworth – Photo: Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Tom Izzo does more than coach basketball, he coaches life. That’s what makes him one of the elite coaches in college basketball history.
Photo: Rick Osentoski, USA Today