John Calipari, who brings Arkansas to Memphis, finally let Tiger fans celebrate his great nine-year-old run

Memphis, Tenn.-John Calipari entered the Grand Lobby on Tuesday at Fedexforum for a press conference to announce the Hoops for St. Jude Tip-Off Classic- An exhibition planned for next month Between the team he now coaches (Arkansas) and the team that he used to coach (Memphis) with proceeds that benefit the internationally praised hospital in the city center a few minutes away.

But it was it So much more than just A press conference.

For everyone who understands the history of Calipari in Memphis, or the relationship between Calipari and Memphis since he left for Kentucky in March 2009, it was a sweet scene that seemed to represent the official start of the end of the end of an uncomfortable existence between two things in the early years here in the 901.

Yes, coach Cal returned to Memphis on Tuesday.

He was warmly greeted and surrounded by old friends.

There was Van Weinberg, the owner of James Davis, a local clothing store where Calipari has continuously shopped, even after leaving the city. A few meters away, the founder of Street Mienistries Ministries Ken Bennett, a man who never stopped serving as a source for Calipari, even after the run in Memphis was over. Everywhere you looked, there was a familiar face of another prominent Memphian – plus former Tigers who played for Calipari such as Shawne Williams, Jeremy Hunt, Billy Richmond and Shawn Taggert.

“It feels like Memphis circa 2008,” noted Kyle Veazey, Staff Chef from ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

In many ways it really did.

“The city of Memphis is a special place,” says Calipari, who remains responsible for some of the most special sports memories that this city has ever experienced. In a period of nine seasons he took a program that had struggled after the end of the local icon Larry Finch three years earlier and produced the following:

• Five conference championships.
• Four championships for conference tournament.
• Four sweet 16 performances.
• Three elite eight performances.
• One last four appearance.

The last four appearance of course came in 2008 a starting line-up from Derrick Rose, Antonio Anderson, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Robert Dozier and Joey Dorsey started the season 26-0, brought ESPN’s College Gameday to the city for a number 1 vs. No. 2-Matchup against Bruce Pearl’s Tennessee Vols and All The Title Game of the Ncaa Tournament, where they were to be a number 1. Mario Chalmers from Kansas at the end of the Regulation, away from securing the first national title of the program.

At the time, around these parts, no one was bigger.

This was the city of John Calipari.

But about a year after he brought Memphis his first number 1 ranking in the history of the Associated Press Top 25 survey, and to bring the program closer to a National Championship than it had ever been, Calipari went to a final Sweet 16 with the Tigers in 2009 and then understood to replace Billy Gillispie.

I write “understandable” because Calipari’s decision was unmistakably understandable – if only because you can probably count on the number of people who would pass Kentucky to stay in Memphis.

And you might be able to do it with zero hands.

So from the moment Calipari was offered the British job, it was clear that he would be the next coach of the UK. Again, it was always understandable the kind of movement that would bring him to this sport on the other side of the so-called rope, where he would finally no longer constantly have to strike as an underdog.

But do you know who couldn’t fully understand it?

Most Memphis fans.

And it did not help that although Calipari progressed to four more Fours in the UK, the national championship won in 2012 and generally his career of Hall of Fame improved, Memphis was more down than Up – evidence was how the program now went 16 consecutive seasons to return to the second year of NCAA Tourament.

Simply put, Memphis fans were simply injured.

Nobody likes to be left behind by someone they love.

There is more going on, certainly. But that is the long and shortage.

Anyway, on this Tuesday in the center of Memphis, all the hurt feelings certainly seemed in the minority through smiling and laughs and hugs between friends. Give Memphis Athletic Director Dr. Ed Scott Credit In case of saying and doing all the right things to make it happen. Give Memphis Coach Penny Hardaway Credit in saying and doing all the right things to make it happen. And give Calipari the honor because they are open to the chance, despite the fact that an earlier celebration of his time in Memphis was planned in 2015, the pushback of some fans was so intense that the event was eventually demolished.

As recently as two years ago, Calipari interviewed with The Daily Memphian And was asked if he thought he would be honored by Memphis. “You should ask them,” he replied flat.

Now we have an answer to that question.

John Calipari will indeed be honored by Memphis – specifically on 27 October in an exhibition that will produce a result that will not count. But only because it does not count does not mean that the night does not matter. Because it is absolutely important for how much money it collects for one of the most important hospitals of our nation that creates routine wonders for families they need. And absolutely, it will matter in the sense that it must leave a great coach of all time and the fans who ever worship him collectively.

“Nine years old,” Calipari told me after taking countless photos on Tuesday and had shaken more hands. “It wasn’t like it was a two -year -old Flip and let’s go. It was nine years. “

Nine years of incredible memories.

Nine years of great achievements.

Once, not long ago, there was a considerable number of Memphis fans perhaps ever dreamed of John Calipari who only returned to the Tigers, so that they could hiss and spit – but I think we are really over now. Maybe it’s because Calipari is no longer in Kentucky. Perhaps it is because time really has a way to cure things when enough passes by.

It is possible both.

Anyway, it is now official: eight Monday from now on, four days before Halloween, the coach responsible for nine exciting years of Memphis-Basketball, and the largest four-year-old run in school history, returns to Fedexforum to coach against the Tigers (for the first time since the tigers left) and is being celebrated.

A few years ago it seemed difficult to imagine.

Now it seems appropriate and appropriate.