From ‘Camelot’ to crossroads a legend is racing against the hourglass
Rick Pitino is a man whose basketball life has spanned glory, scandal, heartbreak, and redemption. And lately, the Hall of Fame coach seems intent on mending fences wherever he can.
First, he made peace with Kentucky — the program he once called the “Roman Empire of college basketball” and “Camelot.” Mark Pope brought him back to Rupp Arena this past season, where Pitino received a thunderous ovation. In that moment, a lot of old wounds, the middle finger incident, the Boston jump, the decision to lead Louisville, felt just a little more healed. For one night, it was 1996 all over again.
Now Pitino is speaking openly about wanting to return to Louisville someday, the place where he led the Cardinals to the 2013 national title — a championship later vacated in the wake of the Katrina Powell escort scandal. That controversy, tied to impermissible benefits involving recruits, exotic dancers, and more ultimately brought his tenure to a messy end. But time has softened even Pitino’s stance on that chapter of his life…