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men's basketball

Eddie Lampkin Jr. responds to Derrick Coleman’s comments on No. 44

Leonardo Eriman | Asst. Video Editor

Eddie Lampkin Jr. responded to former SU basketball player Derrick Coleman's comment which was critical of him wearing the legendary No. 44.

By Zak WolfSenior Staff Writer

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Following Syracuse’s 69-64 loss to Notre Dame Saturday, Syracuse basketball legend Derrick Coleman took to social media to voice his displeasure with Eddie Lampkin Jr. Coleman, who wore the legendary No. 44 at SU, was seemingly unhappy with Lampkin’s performance.

The post on X read “Syracuse 64, Notre Dame 69 watering down the legacy of 44. 5 points 5 rebounds.” The post has 392 likes, 72 comments and 183, 500 views.

Coleman’s comments came after Syracuse dropped to 4-4 and Lampkin finished in single digits for the fourth straight game. It’s not the first time Coleman has voiced his displeasure with Lampkin wearing No. 44, as the saga dates back to the summer. Following SU’s win over UAlbany on Tuesday, Lampkin responded to Coleman’s tweet over the weekend for the first time.

“I really don’t care. He’s a grown man, if he had a problem with me, he should’ve called my phone and that’s all I have to say on that,” Lampkin said.



The controversy started on June 23, when Lampkin posted a picture of a nameplate on instagram which read “Lampkin 44.” People on social media began to speculate if Lampkin would be wearing the number.

Syracuse.com’s Mike Waters quote tweeted the post saying “Yes. And I’m expecting a call from Derrick soon.” Two days later, Coleman took to X to voice his concerns.

Coleman, technically had his jersey “retired” in 2006. Though, Lampkin was given the number ahead of this season. Following an uproar on social media, Lampkin released a statement a few days after Coleman’s original post.

For Lampkin, 44 draws a different meaning. He said Tuesday that it represents his hometown Houston, Texas. The 44 is his local bus stop in Houston and it’s a way to show his roots. At Lampkin’s previous schools, he wore No. 4 at Texas Christian University (TCU) and No. 44 at Colorado. With Chris Bell already occupying No. 4 at SU, he went with 44.

Lampkin said he didn’t know the significance of the number until having a conversation with Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry before the season. Autry met with him and explained what it meant to wear 44.

“Coach gave me a jersey for a reason, so I just take advantage of it. I’m blessed to play in a number like that, and just take advantage of the opportunity I got at the time,” Lampkin said.

At Autry’s postgame press conference Tuesday, he was asked if he saw Coleman’s most recent post. Autry — who was teammates with Coleman in 1990 — said he did but offered no comment.

In response to the question before, Autry said he told his team to block out the noise and to keep their heads down.

“I just told those guys to block out the noise. Go out there and play,” Autry said. “It’s hard for these young men, in today’s world, you know, everyone has an opinion. That’s the challenge that we have as coaches and the staff to try to get these guys with a clear mind and be confident and keep playing.”

Lampkin agreed with the sentiment. He says he stays off social media and ignores what people have to say, especially if they’re critical of him wearing 44.

Lampkin understands the weight of the number and doesn’t take it lightly. But he also said that if any of his teammates wanted to wear the number, they’d be just as deserving. But the bottom line is they don’t. Lampkin is the one who lives with pressure, but he remains focused on winning basketball games.

“At the end of the day, it don’t even matter what jersey number you got on, really, it’s basketball we all got to play,” Lampkin said. “It don’t matter how you perform. It’s just a jersey number. But it’s a legendary number for sure.”

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