Lacey Holsworth, the 8-year-old girl who struck up an unlikely friendship with Michigan State basketball star Adreian Payne, died this week after a long bout with cancer.
Her story of meeting Payne when his team visited her hospital captivated basketball fans and non-fans alike during this year's March Madness tournament, but nowhere more than on the Michigan State campus.
The school held a vigil for Lacey on Wednesday night, and Spartans coach Tom Izzo showed up to deliver a moving speech to the students in attendance.
See also: Biggest Star of March Madness Is an 8-Year-Old Girl Fighting Cancer
Izzo's speech runs about eight minutes in the video above, and really gets going at about the two-minute mark. He talks about Lacey's impact on the team this season, on Payne's life and maturation, the world beyond Michigan State and what others can — and should — learn from her story.
It's an emotional testament to the power of sports as a force beyond the playing of games. The speech also makes clear how many lives Lacey touched, including one of college basketball's greatest coaches and motivators.
অনলাইনে ছড়িয়ে ছিটিয়ে থাকা কথা গুলোকেই সহজে জানবার সুবিধার জন্য একত্রিত করে আমাদের কথা । এখানে সংগৃহিত কথা গুলোর সত্ব (copyright) সম্পূর্ণভাবে সোর্স সাইটের লেখকের এবং আমাদের কথাতে প্রতিটা কথাতেই সোর্স সাইটের রেফারেন্স লিংক উধৃত আছে ।