Love Wins: Honoring the Legacy of Amir Abdur-Rahim
In 2021-2022, I embarked on my first year as the head coach at Radford University. Among the many decisions to make in those early days, one of the most important was scheduling. We needed a pre-season scrimmage to test our team, and I reached out to my good friend Amir Abdur-Rahim, the head coach at Kennesaw State.
Rick Barnes, head coach at the University of Tennessee, graciously allowed our two teams to meet in Knoxville and scrimmage in their arena. We ended up winning that scrimmage, and I can still vividly remember Amir’s words afterward. He raved about the culture he saw in our team. After the game, he even invited me into his team’s locker room to share my thoughts with his players. Amir’s passion for building culture was undeniable, even though his team finished that season 5-19. Every time we spoke, he emphasized one thing: fighting for your culture.
Fast forward two years. In the 2022-2023 season, Amir’s Kennesaw State team finished an incredible 26-10, narrowly losing to Xavier by five points in the NCAA Tournament. It was an astonishing turnaround, and Amir’s leadership was at the heart of it. In his post-game press conference after the tournament loss, Amir said something that stuck with me and so many others: “Love wins. We won because you guys loved each other. We won because when times got hard, y’all didn’t back down.”
Those words epitomize the kind of man Amir was. He believed in the power of love—love for the game, love for the grind, and most importantly, love for people. Amir’s journey was a testament to the idea that culture matters, and when you build it with love and intention, it can transform everything.
This October, the college basketball world was rocked by Amir’s sudden passing. It was a shock to everyone who knew him. Amir was the kind of person who poured into others, lifting them up with his words and actions. One of the last quotes he shared with me came at a time when I needed it most. It was from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” That was Amir—always standing tall in the face of adversity, always fighting for what he believed in.
Amir’s mantra, “Love Wins,” is now more than just a phrase. It’s a legacy. It’s a reminder of what’s truly important in this game and in life. At Radford, we’ve adopted those words, just as so many others in the college basketball world have. Before every game, you’ll find “Love Wins” written on the board in our locker room. It’s not just a tribute to Amir; it’s a commitment to live and lead with love, just as he did.
Amir Abdur-Rahim was more than a coach—he was a winner in the game of life. His impact on me, on his players, and on our sport is immeasurable. And while his absence is deeply felt, his legacy reminds us all of the enduring power of love.
Love wins. Always.
