MILWAUKEE — George Thompson, a legendary player on the Marquette men's basketball team, passed away Wednesday morning at the age of 74 due to complications with diabetes.
According to Marquette University, Thompson was the all-time scoring leader in the university's basketball history with 1,773 points for 40 years. He stayed in the Milwaukee area after his basketball career and teamed with Steve "The Homer" True for years as an analyst on radio broadcasts.
Thompson averaged 20.2 points per game during his career and helped Marquette to a record of 68-20 during his three years, the university said.
Sad news. George was always so kind and I loved my chats with him. Diabetes is vicious, my Dad has battled it for 40 plus years. May one of MU’s best #RIP https://t.co/YsmryJHcGs
— Lance Allan (@lanceallan) June 9, 2022
“George’s name is synonymous with Marquette Basketball,” Vice President & Director of Athletics Bill Scholl said. “He was part of the foundation our program was built on and his career speaks for itself. He had a lasting impact on our University and we mourn the loss with our entire Marquette family.”
By the end of his college career, Thompson held the school's career mark in field goals with 656 and free throws with 457. Marquette says he led the team in scoring his final two years and was selected as an All-American in 1968-1969.
“George is really the one who got everything started at Marquette,” head coach Shaka Smart said. “There aren’t words that can express how important he was to this program. The reverence with which former players and fans alike speak of George is second to none. We’ve lost a true legend.”
