Men’s basketball coach Fran Dunphy addressed the media for eight minutes after Wednesday night’s overtime win against La Salle.
Dunphy thanked the media members and excused himself from the room, but let himself back in moments later.
He had one more thing to add.
Dunphy sat with former La Salle basketball star and local basketball legend Alonzo Lewis for an hour during the Big 5 Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Tuesday.
While Dunphy described the interaction as the typical courteous and memorable experience often connected with Lewis, what he didn’t know is that it would be the last time Dunphy would ever speak with him.
Lewis died tragically after being struck by a car Tuesday night while walking across an intersection in East Falls. The former La Salle player who scored 1,137 points for the Explorers was on his way to watch a basketball game.
“When I got that phone call this morning, my heart was broken for a lot of different reasons,” Dunphy said. “If I hadn’t been with him for that period of time, my heart still would’ve been broken.”
Dunphy wanted to share the story of what possibly was Lewis’ last act of kindness.
“There was a piece of chocolate cake,” Dunphy said. “Lewis said, ‘I can’t eat this. I would love to eat this, but i can’t. But i’m going to bring this to my daughter and she’ll enjoy it.”
“I need to tell that story because of what I feel about Alonzo Lewis and the quality and character and integrity that the man lived his life with,” Dunphy added. “I’m so proud to have known him and proud to have sit with him yesterday afternoon.”
Listen to Dunphy’s remarks on Lewis here. 120222_003
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