Gov. Josh Shapiro talks basketball, family, and faith with former Villanova coach Jay Wright

A failed exam and getting cut from University of Rochester’s basketball team led Gov. Josh Shapiro to his first political endeavor: student government.

Decades of politicking later — winding his way from Pennsylvania state representative, to county commissioner, then attorney general, and now the commonwealth’s highest executive — Shapiro says he still looks at leadership through the prism of basketball.

At the latest event to promote his memoir, Where We Keep the Light, Shapiro discussed his love of the sport Saturday evening at Villanova University alongside decorated former men’s basketball coach Jay Wright. While Shapiro is often floated as a likely 2028 presidential candidate, the conversation was largely apolitical, instead focusing on core themes of the book — family, faith, and the governor’s ethos.

Shapiro, once a point guard with a midrange jumper, talked about his “get stuff done” mentality and putting “points on the board” for Pennsylvanians.

“Teams win when every single player, every coach — even the players on the bench who don’t have a role on the floor — each operates at their highest level,” Shapiro said. “My job is to get the most out of myself and all the people around me so we can be successful for others.”

The governor spoke extensively about his propensity to listen: to constituents on the campaign trail; to his wife and children; to his beliefs. Shapiro said his family and Jewish faith have driven him to a life of public service.

A premier Catholic basketball school, Villanova was an apt venue for the event, as Shapiro described how he sees religion as a way to bridge divides. (Shapiro, however, incorrectly identified Villanova as Jesuit — not Augustinian. The crowd jeered, and Wright assured him it was a common mistake. “Even the Catholics don’t know all the orders,” Wright said.)

“By being close to my faith, it allows me to understand people of other faiths better,” Shapiro said. “There’s different ways religions go about their practice, there’s different customs, there’s different ceremonies. But there really is a shared through line of faith.

“Love thy neighbor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked — these are all universal teachings that I think sometimes we end up losing sight of, and frankly, I think that leads to a lot of division in our society.”

Shapiro’s Jewish heritage is chronicled in the book, as well as the arson attack at the governor’s residence during Passover last spring. On Saturday, Shapiro opened up to the 350-person audience about how he squares fatherhood and marriage with a life in public view. In the aftermath of the attack, Shapiro said his political aspirations — including when he was considered for Kamala Harris’ vice president and whether to seek reelection for the governorship — became family discussions.

“There’s an emotional toll. … [My family] all had to be in,” Shapiro said. “They were all in because you can’t let the bad guys win. We can’t let those who try to intimidate good people from doing this work prevail. You’ve got to stay in the arena, and you’ve got to keep fighting.”

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While the conversation largely steered away from politics, Shapiro promised fair midterm elections, discussed views on capital punishment, and touched on civil discourse and unrest nationwide.

“I’m still betting on the people of Pennsylvania — betting on the American people — to help us through this challenging moment that we’re in,” he said. “If the people really continue to rise up, … demand more, seek justice, try and build a world that has more equity in it, eventually politicians are enough to hear those voices, and that’s going to correct our politics. That’s going to help us find more light.”

Staff writer Katie Bernard contributed to this article.