Michigan State’s Senior Night meant a lot to fans and several players, but we may never be able to quantify what it meant to Tom Izzo and his son, Steven. After a win against Northwestern, the two got very choked up while discussing how they rebuilt parts of their relationship through basketball.
On Wednesday, during a postgame interview with Andy Katz, it was revealed that Tom missed parts of Steven’s childhood. Still, basketball allowed them to regain some of the time they didn’t spend together when Steven joined the Michigan State men’s basketball team as a walk-on. They could hardly keep it together in an incredibly raw, emotional moment as they shared what the last five years meant to their father-and-son relationship.
"I'm just so thankful that he allowed me to walk-on five years ago."
Steven Izzo gets emotional in this @MSU_Basketball senior night interview with @TheAndyKatz. ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/j0eeCxsh2v
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 7, 2024
As Andy turned to ask Steven a question, Tom wrapped his arm around his son, and Steven shared these words while looking at his dad:
“I’m so thankful that he allowed me to walk-on five years ago, and it’s been the greatest decision that I’ve ever made, no matter how hard the lifts are or how long the meetings go. It’s all worth it at the end of the day, and I’m just so grateful that I’m able to do it with you.”
Tom then shared his thoughts about how special it was for Steven to play for him:
“I tell every man or woman out there that coaches a man’s or woman’s sport, if you can have or son or daughter with you, there’s nothing better. We’ve all sacrificed a lot — some coaches sacrifice more than I do — but getting some of that back means the world to me.”
