Letter to Hank Gathers

Dear Hank,

I never met you. In fact, I was less than three years old when you died, but your story is one that has captured my attention and my heart.

I was fortunate enough to be in Gersten Pavilion earlier this year for your team’s 20th anniversary celebration, and was blown away by the emotion and energy in the room. I have never been one to believe in ghosts or spirits, but the energy between people in Gersten that night in January was out of the ordinary. You may not have been there, but you were still doing something to those 4,000 people. They felt like they were with you, and with that, it is clear that the memories of you alone are the most powerful thing that gym has ever held since your passing.

There has been much talk over the past 20 years about a curse. While their may have been some tough losing moments for Lions teams since your death, there is no way I could believe in any kind of curse after what I’ve witnessed this season. While your death was unbelievably tragic, the effect it has had on this program has been so much more of a blessing than a curse. It is clear that starting with your 1989-90 team, all men who step out onto the court as Lions want to do you proud.

I can’t imagine how rough it must have been for your good friend Bo Kimble and the rest of your teammates to pursue their NCAA Tournament run without you, but it was clear that they had to because they were also playing FOR you. I believe the same could be said for the team today. You live on in Gersten as the caliber of basketball player every Lion strives to be like, and for that, we must all thank you. You and your teammates set the bar high, and as Lions fans we should expect nothing less from our program each and every season.

Thank you for all that you did. Because of you, our program will always have the heart of a Lion.

Sincerely,

Julia Pine