Forgotten March Madness legend led school on Cinderella run after tragic death of teammate

The story of Bo Kimble is one of tragedy and triumph.

Much like March Madness and the NCAA Tournament.

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Legends are made this time of the year, heroes are born in the tournament, and Folklore is written in March.

Cinderella March Madness run born from team tragedy

While Cinderella has been abesent from the 2026 NCAA Tournament, Loyola Marymount University — a school sandwiched between the robust campuses of UCLA and USC — brought the entire sports world to a standstill 36 years ago.

One story began, while another came to a tragic end.

March 4, 1990, was the day Kimble’s teammate, Hank Gathers, collapsed on the court during LMU’s semifinal game in the WCC tournament against Portland.

Less than two hours after the 23-year-old collapsed, he was pronounced dead.

Gathers’ death was a result of cardiac arrest. His heart stopped, and so did all of America’s.

“I lost a friend, teammate and brother, but the world lost an extraordinary human being and a kind spirit,” Kimble wrote in The Player’s Tribune, reflecting on the tragedy in March 2015.

“Unexpectedly. Abruptly. Too soon.

“My weakest moment was that first practice after Hank died. We were co-captains, so we would always start practice.

“When the first whistle blew, Hank and I would jog around the perimeter of the gym and the team followed.

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“At that first practice, we did our jog and Hank wasn’t there. That was the first time it hit me like a ton of bricks that he was gone and he wasn’t coming back.

“What I needed to do was to go outside, cry and let everything I was feeling pour out. But I couldn’t do that.

“I believed the rest of the guys were feeding off my strength because whatever pain they were feeling, they knew my pain was greater because I had known Hank for so long.”

Kimble would lead the LMU Lions into the 1990 NCAA Tournament, with Gathers on everyone’s mind.

Bo Kimble paid tribute to lost teammate during legendary March run

The little school cast in the shadow right next to LAX, advanced all the way to the Elite Eight that year.

Kimble led LMU to wins over New Mexico State, Michigan and Alabama before losing to UNLV, one game short of the Final Four.

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Over the course of LMU’s Cinderella run, Kimble honored Gathers by shooting the first free throw of every pair left-handed.

“I told everybody in interviews the day before the tournament — including CBS, who was broadcasting our game — that I was going to honor Hank by shooting the first free throw of every game I played in that tournament left-handed,” he later recalled.

“It didn’t matter if I made it or missed it. That’s how I was going to honor my buddy, and say I love you and I miss you.”

Kimble went onto the NBA, and was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers at No. 8 overall in the 1990 draft.

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But he only played three seasons in the Association — two with the Clippers and one with the New York Knicks.

What does Bo Kimble do now?

He has since gone on to become a high school basketball coach, and business consultant.

In that latter role, he helps businesses and individuals acquire private asset lending capital through real estate ventures.

The former March hero also co-founded, and sits, on the board of directors of Forty-Four for Life Foundation, a non-profit involved in reducing cardiac related fatalities.

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Kimble’s No. 30 and Gathers’ No. 44 jerseys were both retired by LMU, and now hang proudly in the rafters of Gersten Pavilion.

The arena is also nicknamed ‘Hank’s House’ and the the phrase ‘This is Hank’s House’ is recited before the start of every men’s basketball game.

The stories of Kimble and Gathers will be forever intertwined.

One was the tragedy that never saw the triumph, and the other, triumph that persevered through the tragedy.

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