St. John’s head coach, Rick Pitino, became a topic of discussion after a video of his halftime speech to his team went viral on social media.
The Red Storm trailed 42-29 at halftime in a Big East Conference showdown against the Providence Friars on Dec. 20. Following the v off a game-winning jumper.
Fans, Rick Pitino’s Son React to Father’s Viral Halftime Speech
A video of Pitino addressing his team in the locker room at halftime was posted on X and quickly started receiving traction.
“Dig in, and be a basketball player,” the coach said. “Dig in. Every time you miss a shot, your game deflates. We don’t care about your missed shots. Play f***ing defense.
“You guys keep blowing opportunity upon opportunity upon opportunity. You’re like children with bad things happening. Instead of digging in and being tougher, you wilt. Where is your f***ing toughness?
“Where have you guys been raised that you’re so weak mentally that you just f***ing give up when something doesn’t go right for you?” he questioned.
“Don’t you know what adversity is all about? That’s the f***ing game of life—not the game of basketball. You don’t f***ing get down when things go wrong. You dig in and get tougher. Your whole life is gonna be adversity. Learn how to f***ing deal with it,” he concluded.
Clip from Vice Sports of Rick Pitino at halftime of the St. John’s game at Providence. #sjubb was down big, and rallied to win. pic.twitter.com/5gAbXa0BVS
— Zach Braziller (@NYPost_Brazille) February 17, 2025
Fans took to the comment section to share their reactions to Pitino’s passionate speech, which rallied the team to the victory over Providence.
A fan wrote, “For a split second, I thought it was Al Pacino!!!” in reference to the similarities between the Italian-American actor and coach.
Another fan wrote, “Bro, Al Pacino should’ve played this dude. What a living legend.”
Other fans praised Pitino’s ability to motivate players and coach successful teams.
“Pitino is a legend for a reason,” one comment read. Another said, “We need more of this.”
One fan of Pitino’s stated that the coach could motivate him to do just about anything. “Pitino could make me rob four liquor stores,” the comment said.
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Most notably, Richard Pitino, the coach’s son, commented on the speech.
“PTSD of the time I didn’t make my bed,” Pitino’s son, who is also the coach of the New Mexico Lobos, tweeted in response to the viral video.
St. Johns will next play Wednesday night against DePaul. The Red Storm are currently No. 10 in the country and are expected to make a good run in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
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