In many ways, the culmination of the men’s NCAA College Basketball Championship managed to perfectly capture the essence of the Florida Gators’ fearless leader, Walter Clayton Jr.
With time ticking down, the senior guard watched as Houston Cougars sharpshooter Emmanuel Sharp (the name is serendipitous) caught a pass at the top of the key and geared up for a potential game-winning three.
Clayton — alone in the paint — raced to the top of the key, leaped high in the air and managed to affect Sharp’s view of the hoop so severely that the Cougars guard attempted to land without shooting the ball, what would constitute a clear “up and down” traveling violation and an automatic turnover.
Instead, Sharp dropped the ball, a scramble ensued, and the Florida Gators sealed their third championship as time expired, leaving Cougars fans stunned and the Gators and their fanbase erupting in euphoria.
But it’s what Clayton Jr. did next that served as a reminder that there’s truth to that old adage, “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.”
He walked over to Sharp, who was kneeling on the hardwood, hands buried in his face, and placed his arm on his opponent’s back. He offered some words of encouragement and gave him a hug, literally just moments after the game had ended.
The show of sportsmanship elicited an immediate reaction from fans across the country.
“This is what sports are all about 100,” the NCAA posted on X.
One user writing in the thread, “Class act! [The] Houston Cougars were worthy opponents and deserve respect and empathy! Go Gators!”
Another person posted, “Showing a bunch of class by Walter Clayton Jr.,” as dozens of others remarked on what they saw as an example of “great sportsmanship.”
The back story for Clayton might help to explain the mind-set behind his touching action.
A highly sought-after four-star recruit in football, Clayton received offers from blue chip programs like Notre Dame, Florida State, Georgia, Nebraska and even Florida, according to USA Today.
But Clayton Jr. wanted to play basketball, and elite programs weren’t interested. So he caught on with a lower-profile program, Iona — then led by Coach Rick Pitino — and used three years of playing time there to showcase his basketball bonafides.
Originally from the Orlando area, the next stop for the blockbuster talent was Gainesville and the University of Florida, where his star truly shined.
But Clayton Jr.’s commitment to team — and group over self — is a trait that appears to have endured throughout his basketball journey.
And on Monday night, it spoke volumes about his DNA on the court and empathy, too, for all players in competition, whether they share his jersey or not.
“The feeling is just surreal, it’s a crazy feeling, I honestly can’t even explain it” Clayton Jr. said when asked about what it felt like to win a national championship.
“And we all understand that we’re all just picking each other up throughout the year,” he continued. “I think the way we won … is just an exclamation mark on the year, and it’s great to win like that, knowing the fact that we’re just a brotherhood, together.”
In San Antonio, the power of brotherhood was on full display.
