CHAPEL HILL
The North Carolina men's basketball program began its year-long celebration of its centennial season last night, drawing a sellout crowd of nearly 22,000 to watch a charity game featuring its alumni playing in the NBA or overseas.
The rosters featured some of the program's biggest stars of the past two decades, including NBA All-Stars such as Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison and Jerry Stackhouse. They also included 10 members of the Tar Heels' 2005 and 2009 national-championship teams.
Still, the crowd reserved its biggest cheers for two big names who weren't even playing: Michael Jordan and Dean Smith, the retired Hall of Fame coach.
Both joined current Tar Heels coach Roy Williams along with the teams as they lined the court for pregame introductions. Smith -- still as uncomfortable with all the attention as he was in his 36 years as coach here -- acknowledged the roar of the crowd, then pointed several times at the players as they applauded for him.
Smith sat at the scorer's table during the game, between Jordan and Coach Larry Brown of the Charlotte Bobcats.
The crowd spent much of the night snapping pictures with their cell phones and begging for autographs before the game. People had some trouble figuring out who to cheer for at times, eventually opting to applaud every play.
That's not to say they didn't get charged up a few times, most notably on some highlight-reel dunks from Carter. Carter, now with the Orlando Magic, ended the first half by taking an alley-oop pass from former teammate Shammond Williams off the backboard and throwing it down on the break.
Among the other notable people in attendance: Denver Nuggets coach George Karl, who coached the losing Blue team; new Detroit Pistons coach John Kuester, who coached the victorious White; and Bill Guthridge, Smith's longtime assistant who spent three years as head coach after Smith's retirement. The White team also included Julius Peppers, a Carolina Panthers Pro Bowl defensive lineman -- a two-sport standout here earlier this decade -- who dressed out but didn't play.
At halftime, the program unveiled the banner commemorating last season's national title, the program's second in the past five seasons and fifth NCAA championship overall. In addition, the school honored Jordan during the second half and added his name to the banner listing the program's Naismith Hall of Fame inductees. Jordan will be enshrined in Springfield, Mass., next week.
Proceeds from the event went to the UNC Lineberger Cancer Center and the UNC Children's Hospital.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement