The Chinatown Gang

Very little time passes before I think of Arnold "Red" Auerbach. In some ways I always see him linked to Georgetown Basketball through his relationship with John Thompson, Jr. Red was one of the few people who coach Thompson always listened to. I do not know of anyone knowledgeable about basketball who did not listen to Red. One of my prized possessions is an autographed copy of the book, Let Me Tell You A Story. Anything signed by Red would be special for me. I still remember my days in summer basketball camp hearing the great stories Red would tell. I doubt there was anyone who could tell the wonderful stories that came from Red Auerbach. Anyway, the book tells the story of Red and his friends who met in D.C.'s Chinatown every Tuesday for lunch at the fabled China Inn, and later at the China Doll--two of the historic D.C. Chinatown restaurants that no longer exist. Chinatown in D.C. has always been a small area of at most 2-3 blocks that is even smaller today.

As HHC Blogmaster John Hawkes and I have been working with the new Hoya Hoop Club Communications Committee I thought it would be appropriate for us to meet on a Tuesday, after the Hoyas Home Opener against Temple. Thankfully, the Hoyas escaped with a come from behind win. In the tradition of Red Auerbach and D.C. basketball I decided to have our meeting over dinner at Tony Cheng's Restaurant in Chinatown. Sitting upstairs in our group, I am hoping to start a new tradition. Tony Cheng's on the second floor is perhaps the last of the old guard in Chinatown. At Georgetown it is always about tradition. Our HHC communications group had a great meal, and talked about some serious basketball. I am hoping this will be the return of another Chinatown Gang, a group of Georgetown Hoyas who truly love basketball and are serious basketball fans.

John Thompson: "I've never been around a man who managed men in my life any better than Red Auerbach. Particularly, the egos he had to deal with, the cross cultures he had to deal with and all the variations in the kinds of people that I saw him be associated with."

We are Georgetown! Hoya Saxa! Coach Auerbach--This one is for you and D.C. Basketball!

Dr. Thomas A. Wong

Vice-President Hoya Hoop Club & Director of Communications

Proud Member of Generation Ewing