Michigan State Coach Offers Moving Eulogy for 'Princess' Lacey

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By Sam Laird2014-04-11 20:06:31 UTC

Lacey Holsworth, the 8-year-old girl who struck up an unlikely friendship with Michigan State basketball star Adreian Payne, died this week after a long bout with cancer.

Her story of meeting Payne when his team visited her hospital captivated basketball fans and non-fans alike during this year's March Madness tournament, but nowhere more than on the Michigan State campus.

The school held a vigil for Lacey on Wednesday night, and Spartans coach Tom Izzo showed up to deliver a moving speech to the students in attendance.

See also: Biggest Star of March Madness Is an 8-Year-Old Girl Fighting Cancer

Izzo's speech runs about eight minutes in the video above, and really gets going at about the two-minute mark. He talks about Lacey's impact on the team this season, on Payne's life and maturation, the world beyond Michigan State and what others can — and should — learn from her story.

It's an emotional testament to the power of sports as a force beyond the playing of games. The speech also makes clear how many lives Lacey touched, including one of college basketball's greatest coaches and motivators.

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Topics: college sports, Entertainment, march madness, Sports, Videos

Image: Frank Franklin/Associated Press