EAST LANSING – Tom Izzo wore a pair of shoes unlike any other Tuesday night.
The legendary Basketball Hall of Fame coach sported a pair of white low-top Nike with a green swoosh during No. 7 Michigan State basketball’s 73-51 win over Minnesota.
It was the messages scrawled on them in multicolor marker that carried the emotional impact, eye-appeal and 1-of-1 uniqueness. They were written by cancer patients at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, and Izzo wore them as part of the American Cancer Society’s Coaches vs. Cancer “Suits and Sneakers” week.
“I wore these shoes because they gave them to me for people that are fighting cancer at Sparrow, and they all signed them,” Izzo said after the Spartans’ 13th straight win improved them to 9-0 in the Big Ten and 18-2 overall. “One of the more inspirational things I get to do is tell my team that they’re fighting to win a game, and there’s people fighting for their lives.
“So let’s keep that in perspective a little bit.”
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: What was on Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo’s shoes Tuesday?
