Hundreds gather to honor legacy of Lansing basketball legend George Fox

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - There was a funeral for a sports legend in Lansing. Friends and colleagues gathered Monday to remember the life of longtime Lansing Everett basketball coach George Fox.

Read: Lansing legend George Fox passes away at age 88

A gathering of more than 600 at St. Gerard’s Catholic Church honored Coach Fox, including Earvin Johnson who flew in from Los Angeles to attend.

Family, friends, numerous coaching colleagues, and members of the 1977 Lansing Everett state championship team that George Fox coached were on hand to remember a great friend.

“And I’m so happy I came. It was amazing, and once again he brought us all together and shined a light on his incredible life and also incredible career,” Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson said. “And we just thank God, as I told his beautiful wife and the kids and grandchildren, ‘Thank you for sharing him.’”

There was a rock next to the urn for George Fox that had the inscription, “A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life.”

Believe me, George Fox changed many more lives than games.

George Fox was the first man ever to play on a state championship team and coach a team to the state title. He played on Fowler’s 1952 championship team and coached Lansing Everett to the title in 1977.

You can watch Fred Heumann’s full story in the video player above.

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