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UNC alumni game draws crowd

Former UNC players Danny Green (left) and Vince Carter goof off during a foul shot during UNC’s alumni game Friday night.
Former UNC players Danny Green (left) and Vince Carter goof off during a foul shot during UNC’s alumni game Friday night.

It was a night to remember — literally.

Friday evening at the Smith Center, North Carolina’s professional basketball alumni came home to pay homage to both themselves and the history they are all a part of.

“I mean, anyone who played here, was a manager here, we all went through the same things,” former power forward and national player of the year in 1998 Antawn Jamison said.

“You put on that jersey, you represent this University and this community the same way. And for me to be part of, is something that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”

Anyone who has watched UNC basketball during the last 16 years had a few flashback moments as the NBA alumni game opened a year-long celebration commemorating 100 years of basketball at North Carolina.

“It’s a lot of things to soak in, 100 years,” Jamison said. “And I’m blessed and grateful to be a part of this, because I could have been playing 45, 50 years ago and missed this opportunity, but I had a great career here.”

It was a roster of names that any program would be envious to have and reflective of the extensive history that comes with basketball at UNC.

Try Vince Carter, Jamison, Jerry Stackhouse, Sean May, Raymond Felton and Jeff McInnis — along with many other names from the annals of UNC basketball.

And though the game itself was a large part of the show, the night also featured more than enough theatrics of production.

There were two new video montages, one for the national championship season and one for 100 years of North Carolina basketball.

There was a surprise appearance of legendary former coach Dean Smith, and beside him sat the other unlisted guest — Michael Jordan.

Jordan’s presence carried some of its own weight, as his name joined the Smith Center banner listing UNC’s Naismith Hall of Fame inductees.

The entire production took place in front of a sold-out crowd, as Jordan, Smith, all of the players in the game and all the other coaches and participants were honored before the game.

To boot, the 2008-09 national championship team also took the floor to be honored and watch as the banner they earned was dropped.

“We had 22,000 people, and we had MJ back, and all this stuff, I think it’s a beautiful thing,” May, who led UNC to the 2005 national championship, said. “And it says a lot about this University and what basketball means to them.”

Current coach Roy Williams, — who for once spent the evening in the stands instead of coaching on the bench — was also notably impressed by the event.

“In my opinion, there’s no place in the country that could have done what we just did. I mean, it was 21,750 people, and every NBA player that was eligible to play. … It was a wonderful night, and I was fortunate to be a part of it. ”


Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.

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