Leonard Hamilton’s impact felt during the last celebration of the state of Florida

When he looked at how Leonard Hamilton trained his last game in Florida State when he won one last time for his favorite coach of all time in the Tucker Center, the spirit of Derwin Kitchen went back to a scene in the same arena 14 years earlier.

It was a victory that was not shown by numbers on a scoreboard, but by the parchment that he would hold in his hand, and the effects it had on Hamilton.

“I remember that I saw it on his face,” said Kitchen on Saturday afternoon. “You don’t see him cry, but you could literally see the emotions. I vividly remember it. He takes care of his players so much. “

In a way, the story of Kitchen was unique.

As one of the best recruits of the nation after a brilliant career at Jacksonvilles Raines High, he originally signed at the Florida Gators, but was not authorized. Then he moved to St. Johns, but was also considered un eligible there.

After his resuscitation of his career at the Iowa Western Community College, Kitchen signed in the state of Hamilton and Florida and was finally clarified in December 2008 for playing. He would spend the next three years as the starting point for the Seminoles, while he led them to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.

He was also the first member of his family to complete college.

This last part of the story of Kitchen is not unique at all. It was similar to dozens of former players in Florida State who returned a 76-69 victory over Smu on Saturday for the last game from Hamilton to Tallahasee.

While some ACC championship rings wore and shared other memories of tournament runs and angry victories, it was the impact that Hamilton had on their lives outside of basketball that seemed to swing the most.

“It means the world,” said Kitchen, who produced his young family from Tampa, where he retired after a long professional basketball career in overseas. “It means everything. It was too much a moment so as not to come back. This is the best coach I have ever had – as a person, as a coach, the staff he put together. This is the best trainer I’ve ever had in my life from top to bottom. And I had a lot of coaches. “

When the kitchen ended this idea after the aftermath on Saturday, his wife was busy chasing her 2-year-old twins, and her 7-year-old ran around with the children of other basketball alumni of the state of Florida at the Tucker Court.

This was essentially the scene all weekend, since a celebration of Hamilton’s career became a massive multi-family re-association.

“You not only came, but also brought your families with them,” said Hamilton. “We had run around more children today. They had a train up and down to the steps.

“But that’s part of the rewards you can see when you have been in business for so long.”

The Seminole -Alumni presented from Era to Era and Team to Team.

There was Michael Joiner (2000-04), who is now an assistant coach of the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA. There was Isaiah Swann, who played the leading role from 2004 to 2008, and Solomon Alabi (2007-10), who replaced his family from Seattle. Jon Kreft (2010-12) was there together with Montay Brandon (2012-16), now assistant coach with Men’s basketball. There were former teammates such as Phil Cofer (2014-19) and Anthony Polite (2017-22), the current seminole Chandler Jackson (2022-now) and numerous others.

Several other groups were also represented. At one end of the square, Hamilton’s teammates from his match days in Tennessee-Martin from 1969-71 were located. Some of his high school team colleagues from Gastonia, NC, made as well as two of his former players from Kentucky (Sam Bowie and Dirk Minnnd) and several from Miami.

Several former state in Florida State before his term, including Doug Edwards and Charlie Ward and the former head coach Pat Kennedy, were also present.

“This is a bit overwhelming,” said Hamilton humbly about the turnout.

Some of the former players in the State of Florida have made their first trips back to the Tucker Center for years, others were regular visitors. A thread among most was that they had stayed in regular contact with Hamilton and his long -time associated head coach Stan Jones.

Especially those who followed Hamilton’s steps into the coaching.

“I have a lot of coach for advice,” smiled Brandon, who remembered that Hamilton predicted years ago that he would be a coach as soon as he ended playing. “I’m also annoying all the time. You always answer my call and I am always grateful for you. “

Joiners, who trained in the NBA G League before taking his current job in the WNBA, repeated these feelings. He said he also learned lessons that he learned from Hamilton two decades ago in various aspects of his professional and personal life.

“People remember you whether it is the caretaker, the referees, the coaches – people remember how you treated them and how you felt them,” said Joiner. “Obviously we were competitors out here. But we also tried to do everything right. “

It is not surprising that Hamilton was asked when he was asked at his press conference after the game, which means the most meant during a coaching career over 50 years of coaching and the fact that 97 percent of his players, who remained four years, made their college.

As the first member of his family who visited and completed the college, Hamilton knows the effects of this performance first -hand. He said it was his college that inspired his brothers and sister to do the same. Then their children and countless nieces and nephews followed this example.

“It has changed the entire culture of our family by getting my training,” said Hamilton.

After leaving the media room of the Tucker Center as head coach in Florida State for the last time, Hamilton then went to a nearby ballroom to celebrate privately with his family, friends, former players, former employees and other well -wishers.

It was the perfect end of a perfect day.

A day when he went off a winner one last time.

A day when he ended his career in Florida with exactly 200 Accer victories of the regular season, which occupies fourth place ever.

A day full of smiles and hugs and an apparently endless care with love and gratitude.

A day of decades in the creation.

“All players who brought the victim to be here – part of this moment – was a bit overwhelming for me,” said Hamilton. “I thought I might block everything and just concentrate on the game, but it seemed as if someone had to have their moment and we remember some of these things that we experienced on our trip. And then they recognize how important these relationships were and how meaningful it was for everyone.

“I got away from a feeling of pride, but also realized that there are many things that are much more important on the journey of a trainer who only wins and wins losses.”

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