TUCSON, Ariz. — It's a sentiment shared by UA student Patrick Robles, "Love for Lute is intergenerational."
Four generations, to be exact, for the Robles family.
Robles is the first in his family to attend the University of Arizona, but his family's love for the Wildcats, for Lute, stretches as far back as he can remember.
"Lute Olson was always a household name. We have bobble heads. We had memorabilia signed by him. And we have family members who always love to flaunt pictures of him," he said.
One memory, in particular, had given him a true understanding of Lute's stature in the entire community.
Patrick, only 7 years old, was sitting in the stands, "when they announced Lute Olson, I heard them shout Luuute. And I asked my dad, why are they booing him. He said no, they're not booing him, they're shouting his name."
"And right there and then that allowed me to understand the importance of Lute Olson in our community. What he meant to us. The unity he brought amongst people from all sides of town," he said.
The unity and the pride are resonating with families, friends, and fans in a flurry of tributes.
"Since the news broke that he was in hospice, our family had been sharing links of photos back in the day, links back to classic plays. And Lute Olson, it was a punch in the stomach for us," he said.
