Jim Boeheim’s bizarre exit from Syracuse leaves us with more questions than answers I The Rush

Jim Boeheim was relieved of his head coaching duties a few hours after the Syracuse men’s basketball team suffered defeat at the hands of a Wake Forest buzzer-beater in the ACC Tournament. After the game, Boeheim gave vague and opaque answers to questions about his future leading the program, and shortly after, the university announced he was being replaced by Adrian Autry. The unceremonious exit for Boeheim after 47 years as head coach leaves us with more questions than answers. Kevin Durant was set to make his home debut for the Phoenix Suns when he slipped and fell during warmups prior to a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Suns announced Durant would be a late scratch, sidelined with an ankle injury.

Video Transcript

- Are you saying right now that you're gonna retire?

JIM BOEHEIM: This is up to the University.

- How will you make a determination about when you will come back?

JIM BOEHEIM: You're talking to the wrong guy.

[AUDIO LOGO]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

JARED QUAY: It's officially the end of an era at Syracuse University as Jim Boeheim is no longer the men's head basketball coach after 47 years on the job. During Boeheim's tenure, the Orange men made the NCAA tournament 35 times, played in five Final Fours, and won the national championship in 2003 with star freshman Carmelo Anthony. You'd think with a resume like that, Boeheim would get a bon voyage celebration, right?

- Wrong.

JARED QUAY: The beginning of the end began with [? queues ?] being bounced from the ACC tournament by way of a buzzer-beater.

- 4, 3, back for Williamson for the win.

[CHEERING]

JARED QUAY: At the postgame press conference, Boeheim was making no freaking sense when asked about his future with the program.

- Are you saying right now that you're gonna retire?

JIM BOEHEIM: This is up to the University.

- You want to come back.

JIM BOEHEIM: I didn't say that.

- [LAUGH]

- OK, but-- so what are you saying? You're not saying you're retiring, but you're not saying--

JIM BOEHEIM: I just said it. I don't know.

JARED QUAY: And just a few hours later, Syracuse released a short statement on its website thanking Boeheim for his service and announcing Adrian Autry as his successor.

- Damn, that's cold.

JARED QUAY: That sure is an icy sendoff for one of the most prominent alumni in Syracuse University history. I'm gonna need a 30 for 30 on the unceremonious bouncing of Jim Boeheim.

- I'll get right on it.

JARED QUAY: Kevin Durant was set to make his home debut with the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.

- There is a fight coming.

JARED QUAY: But about an hour before the game against the Thunder, KD was doing drills when the court turned into a slip and slide.

- Oh!

[CHILDREN PLAYING]

JARED QUAY: Good news is the Slim Reaper got up and finished the rest of his workout. The bad news is that shortly, after the team announced KD would miss the game with an ankle injury.

- Of course.

JARED QUAY: Listen to the reaction of someone in the arena as KD goes down.

[SCREAM]

That right there is the fear of Phoenix's title hopes slipping away right before your eyes.

[SCREAM]

Thankfully for Suns fans, Phoenix got the W without their new star. Fox channel 10 in Phoenix reported that ticket prices for KD's home debut were surging, with the cheapest ticket at $80 in courtside seats selling for $6,000. Talk about adding insult to injury.

Could you imagine for $6,000 for your courtside tickets, and KD sitting next to you? How the hell KD can make even more for the game, and I'm paying the same amount to watch the same game. Either way, KD came back, right? Make him go into the game in two weeks, and I want to see you there.