Miami may have lost in the Final Four — but the team flew back first-class.
Billionaire Patriots owner Robert Kraft sent his New England football team’s private plane to fly the University of Miami’s basketball squad back from Houston, Tex., after the Hurricanes lost in the NCAA tournament to Connecticut.
It’s unclear exactly why Kraft provided the plane as a surprise, and his rep did not comment.
The NFL owner last year sent his team plane to transport the University of Virginia football team after three of its players were killed, so that grieving players could attend the funerals.
This time, Miami Hurricanes sportscaster Joseph Zagacki tweeted a video clip of the plane picking up the Miami players.
Miami had a magical season before being knocked out a win shy of the national championship game.
And there were plenty of starry Miami alumni at the game to cheer on the losing school, which has been better known for its football program in the past.
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Alumni at the game included NFL Hall of Famers Michael Irvin and Edgerrin James, former Jets star Braxton Berrios, former Pro Bowl running back Clinton Portis, future NFL Hall of Famers Reggie Wayne and Andre Johnson, and Lakers players Davon Reed and Lonnie Walker, sources told Page Six.
One Miami insider even joked of Miami’s Final Four interstate rival Florida Atlantic University, “Notably absent was FAU’s most famous alum, Carrot Top, who couldn’t attend his team’s game because he had a show in Vegas.”
FAU fell to San Diego State.
Said another Miami alum, “There were Hall of Fame players standing and cheering [at the game] as passionately as any 12-year-old fan.”
Other Miami faithful included power public relations maven Ron Berkowitz and ESPN sportscaster Jorge Sedano.
UConn had former school greats Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton, Emeka Okafor and Kemba Walker in the stands.
