“Thank you for sharing this surreal quote”: Hoops fans react as Dawn Staley posts heartfelt message to pay tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.

As the nation celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Dawn Staley, the South Carolina coach, paid tribute to the civil rights icon on X (formerly Twitter). On Monday, Staley shared a powerful quote from King as a part of her tribute.

"HAPPY MLK DAY! Let us all take a page out of the Rev. Dr.’s book, "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope," the tweet read.

Staley's message resonated with many fans, who commented on the post praising the coach. Here are some of the reactions:

"Thank you for sharing this surreal quote, needed on a day like today !" one fan wrote.

"Beautiful sentiment, dear. Dr. Kings words light the path even in the darkest moments. Hope is a stubborn thing, isnt it?" a user commented.

"I needed this coach. My hope was definitely waning," another fan appreciated.

"Thank you for those words of encouragement on a day such as this. Martin would have loved you Dawn," a fan added.

Below are a few more comments:

"At this point, our hope is feeling like an unstoppable force meets immovable object situation," one user wrote.

"✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾❤️❤️❤️❤️ America’s coach," another chimed in.

"Need hope badly today,” one more added.

Dawn Staley shares a powerful MLK Jr. quote as a Gameday message

No. 2 South Carolina coach Dawn Staley always shares a gameday devotional and a powerful quote from a historical figure before each Gamecocks matchup. The devotional would typically include a Bible verse followed by an inspirational message.

For their matchup against No. 19 Alabama on Thursday, Staley added a quote from Martin Luther King as her pregame motivation.

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice," Dawn Staley shared on her social media after the team's pregame meal and shootaround.

The three-time national coach also included a Bible verse that read:

"I consider that our present trials are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. - Roman 8:18"

Dawn Staley's Gamecocks went on to defeat the Crimson Tide 76-58 at Coleman Coliseum. They blew out No. 13 Oklahoma 101-60 in the following game at home. With the win, South Carolina's winning streak extended to 13 games as they solidified their position atop the SEC standings with a 6-0 conference record.

Their next game is one of the highly anticipated matchups of the season, as they take on the No. 5 LSU Tigers (20-0, 5-0 SEC). It is a rematch of last season's conference tournament final, where Staley's Gamecocks emerged victorious over Kim Mulkey's Tigers.