George Raveling passes away at 88, remembered as Hall of Fame coach and Nike executive behind Michael Jordan deal

George Raveling, the legendary basketball coach and Nike executive who helped bring Michael Jordan to the brand, has died at the age of 88. His family announced on Tuesday that Raveling passed away peacefully after a long battle with cancer.

He was surrounded by loved ones at the time of his death.In a heartfelt message shared on social media, his family wrote, “There are no words to fully capture what George meant to his family, friends, colleagues, former players, and assistants and to the world. He will be profoundly missed, yet his aura, energy, divine presence, and timeless wisdom live on in all those he touched and transformed.”

George Raveling’s legacy in coaching and at Nike

George Raveling’s career began as a player at Villanova University from 1957 to 1960, before he moved into coaching. In 1963, he became an assistant coach at his alma mater. Over the years, he coached at Maryland, Washington State, Iowa, and USC, before retiring in 1994.

George Raveling was highly respected in the college game. He was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year three times and also earned the NABC Coach of the Year award.

In addition, he was an assistant coach for Team USA at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. His influence on the sport was later honored when he was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.After stepping away from coaching, Raveling joined Nike as global basketball sports marketing director. It was in this role that he helped shape one of the biggest partnerships in sports history.

George Raveling pushed Michael Jordan to join Nike at the start of his NBA career.In a 2015 interview, Jordan himself credited Raveling for convincing him. “Sonny (Vaccaro) likes to take the credit. But it really wasn’t Sonny, it was actually George Raveling. He used to always try to talk to me, ‘You gotta go Nike, you gotta go Nike. You’ve got to try.’”Also Read: Vanessa Bryant Poses With Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka In A Stunning New Instagram Post

George Raveling’s role in history beyond Basketball

Beyond the basketball court, George Raveling also left his mark on American history.

In 1963, he worked as a volunteer security guard during Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington. After the speech, Raveling asked Dr. King for a copy of his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, and King handed it to him.Although Raveling was later offered millions of dollars for the original document, he chose not to sell it. Instead, he donated it to his alma mater, Villanova University. Today, the speech is preserved at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.George Raveling’s impact stretched from the basketball world to the broader culture of America. His coaching career, his work with Nike, and his role in preserving one of the most important documents in U.S. history make him a figure who will always be remembered.