Proud Zags fans welcome team home from NCAA championship at rally

One Zags fan grabbed his daughter and hoisted her up on his shoulders. She was too little to see over the crowd of fans that were waiting for the Gonzaga basketball players to arrive.

Another fan with “GU” shaved into his hair slowly squeezed his way to the front of the crowd to get a better look at the stage setup in front of the Foley Library for the Zags rally. He passed several spectators who waved around small cards that read “Congratulations Zags on your historic season!”

A few fans stood on their tiptoes to get a better view. They didn’t get to the lawn outside the library early enough to grab a good spot.

The Spokesman-Review

Minutes before the rally began, one Gonzaga fan held up her homemade sign high enough for all the fans to see its message.

“We are proud,” it read.

Seems like an accurate statement to make of the crowd awaiting their second-place, record-breaking Zags.

Because they were so proud.

They were proud of their Zags for doing things this season that no other Gonzaga team has been able to do.

Never before had Gonzaga’s basketball team won 29 straight games. Never before had GU’s red and blue graced the set of the biggest stage in college basketball.

Of course, the Zags fell just one game short of a national title on Monday. But on Wednesday, nobody cared. Spokane was just too happy with their Zags to care about a trophy.

The fans cheered and waved their signs and shouted, “We love you!” as loud as they could when they finally saw the Zags step out from the library.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few stepped up to the podium and looked out onto the group of fans that clapped and cheered for him.

“This crowd is way bigger than Trump’s inauguration,” Few cracked.

He took a couple of minutes to thank his players and then the fans for being so supportive of the Zags all season.

“Thanks for making us feel like we truly are America’s team,” Few said.

He left the podium for a few of his players to speak to their fans. Senior reserve Rem Bakamus took the floor first.

“I just want to thank my teammates and coaches because this last five years has been incredible,” Bakamus said.

But of course, he couldn’t let Few have all the jokes.

“I thanked my mom as well because I was born at the right time – I got here at the best five seasons,” Bakamus joked.

All-American guard Nigel Williams-Goss stepped up to the podium and thanked Gonzaga for making room for him in the Zag family after he transferred from University of Washington two years ago.

Then he thanked his teammates for such an unforgettable year.

“This group of guys, though, that we were able to spend these months with, every day in practice, all the trips, the hard work, the games, it was just unbelievable,” Williams-Goss said.

Williams-Goss seemed to have taken the loss to North Carolina on Monday the hardest of all the Zags. On Wednesday, it was clear the junior was still feeling the sting from losing out on the national title.

“We came up a little bit short,” Williams-Goss told the crowd.

“No, you didn’t come up short!” one fan blurted out. Others agreed with cheers and applause.

Even Przemek Karnowski, who was nearly speechless two days ago during Gonzaga’s news conference after the championship game, took the opportunity to speak to all of the fans.

The senior center has been part of the Zags since 2013 and has made a lasting impression on Spokane. The city’s own big friendly giant will certainly be missed, and Karnowski said he won’t forget the community that rallied behind him for five years.

“It’s been an awesome ride and I will forever have Gonzaga in my heart,” Karnowski said.