Kofi Cockburn smiled as he walked into the State Farm Center media gaggle on Tuesday night. The legendary Illini center was just an hour away from his honored jersey ceremony in front of a Champaign crowd that had not seen him since 2022.

“I’m so nervous right now; it’s crazy,” Cockburn said. “I’m pretty excited. My mom is here, my family is here, and everybody gets to see it and witness it firsthand. It’s a great moment … (My mom) is my number one role model. Her work ethic has been instilled in me. I’m so happy that I could make her this proud.”

Illinois may not have been graced by the presence of Cockburn since he left the program after his junior year, but it welcomed him back with open arms. Chants of “Kofi,” a “Long Live The King” slogan plastered on video boards around the arena, and numerous fans lining up for photos in the tunnel and arena bowl showed how big of an impact he had on the fans and community.

“It means everything in the world to me,” Cockburn said. “This is what I came here for: the family, the environment, the love of the fans, to make the program better. And I feel really great to be able to do that and accomplish something this big.”

Cockburn did not start playing organized basketball until he moved from Jamaica to New York in 2015. Fast forward seven years to 2022, and he was leaving Illinois as perhaps the most dominant big man to grace Champaign and one of the best in the Big Ten. Now, a banner with his name and No. 21 jersey is in the State Farm Center rafters, forever immortalized in Illinois athletics history.

“I told him before the game, I said, ‘Just appreciate this man, because not everybody gets to do this,’” said head coach Brad Underwood. “And you’re in a place that he loves and that loves him. Pretty special.” 

Cockburn was a two-time consensus All-American and averaged 17.2 points and 9.6 rebounds over his three years in the program. Fans relived his rim-rattling dunks, massive blocks and high energy in a tribute video played during the halftime ceremony, set to BigXthaPlug’s “The Largest.”

The 7-foot, almost 300-pound center was an unstoppable force. He is also the only Illini in the last 50 years to average just over 20 points and 10 rebounds across an entire season (2021-22).

Cockburn hopes that his legacy is not only how good he was on the court but the progress he made in such a short time due to his work ethic.

“A legacy of hard work,” Cockburn said. “Coming from where I’ve came from, coming from Jamaica and not playing basketball and coming this far. Just being focused and listening and learning. I hope I instill that in other young players, you know, to be able to overcome obstacles and be the best version of themselves.”

Cockburn joined his former teammate, current Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, as the second player in the Underwood era to have their jersey raised at Illinois. The duo played two seasons together and led the Illini to a No. 1 seed in the 2021 NCAA tournament. 

“The first time I met Ayo was at a top-100 camp going into my sophomore year,” Cockburn said. “And the dude came into the camp and started just killing it … I’m looking at him, and I’m like, ‘Who is this guy?’ To be able to play with him and see all of the great stuff he’s done and be able to do some of those great stuff with him, it’s an honor.”

Dosunmu and Cockburn are largely responsible for turning Illinois basketball back into a premier college program. Former Illini and current guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves Terrence Shannon Jr., whose jersey will also be honored on Saturday, freshman guard phenom Kasparas Jakučionis and five-star freshman forward Will Riley are just a few of the players with legitimate NBA talent who have followed in their footsteps.

“He’s just a legend here,” said sophomore center Tomislav Ivišić. “I’m glad that he can be a role model for a lot of players who come here. What he did here was incredible, and it’s incredible to be around such a player.”

Underwood was a bit emotional when reflecting on Cockburn’s journey at Illinois.

“You’re truly blessed as a coach when you get to coach somebody that gets to hang their jersey,” Underwood said. “And then the icing on the cake is when they’re as good a human being as he is and as fun to be around and fun to coach. And he was fun to mold. … You have no idea how much that meant to me and means to me.”

Cockburn returned Underwood’s sentiments, lauding his ability to balance tough coaching and true friendship that extends beyond basketball.

“The relationship that me and (Underwood) had, him being able to push me and me understanding that this was from a good place,” Cockburn said. “It really helped me break through and become better every day. And knowing that this is somebody that I can trust and somebody that actually loves me instead of someone that’s out there trying to get whatever he needs to get.”

While Champaign may no longer be his literal home, it will always hold a special place in Cockburn’s heart. The practice facility where he grew, the arena that he dominated, the town where he is still loved — Champaign will always welcome The King.

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