Soaring Smith leads would-be alma mater to victory against ACC alums in charity gameSoaring Smith leads would-be alma mater to victory against ACC alums in charity game

As the starting lineups were introduced Saturday night at the World’s Greatest Alumni Game, Antawn Jamison stood at midcourt in street clothes and threw another glance at the jerseys in the rafters at the Smith Center.

A number of the revered names branding the white uniforms that hang from the rafters appeared in the flesh to participate in the annual event hosted by Jamison and Jerry Stackhouse. But the one “alum” who never got to take the floor as a Tar Heel stole the show Saturday.

J.R. Smith, who jilted UNC for the NBA and the New Orleans Hornets in 2004, wowed the crowd with his high-flying dunks, scoring 26 points to lead North Carolina to a 139-126 victory against the ACC alumni team.

“I’ve really only played pickup games (at the Smith Center), so it felt good to be out there with the rest of the Carolina family,” Smith said. “I think I made the right decision by going to the NBA, but I think I made the wrong decision at the same time because UNC has a great family environment.”

Smith almost chose to play apart from North Carolina again prior to Saturday’s game, as the ACC stars had made a jersey for the New Orleans Hornet, asking him to play against his almost alma mater. But North Carolina invited Smith onto its team, which also included Raymond Felton, Sean May and Brendan Haywood.

“J.R.’s got some hops, so it was really fun playing out there with him,” said Felton. “He’s part of the family, and the whole event signifies our Carolina family.”

Proceeds from the ticket sales went to the American Diabetes Association, an organization fighting for a cause especially important to Stackhouse, who has lost two sisters to the disease and has two diabetic parents as well.

“I’m really proud of the guys for taking time out to play in this game because it’s for a really good cause,” Stackhouse said of the event, in its fourth year. “I’m just really happy how it went and hope the game continues to grow each year.”

The former ACC stars, which included Duke’s Daniel Ewing and Dahntay Jones, and Wake Forest’s Josh Howard and Chris Paul, took advantage of a slow start by North Carolina and jumped to a 29-28 lead after the first quarter. But by the start of the second half, Smith and the Tar Heel alumni had finally found their rhythm.

In a 30-second span, Smith slammed home an alley-oop off the backboard from Jeff McInnis before taking a steal coast to coast for a thunderous two-handed dunk to put North Carolina up by 15, and for good.

Steady fourth-quarter play by Jones and Howard brought the ACC team within four and placed the UNC team in danger of suffering its first loss in the event’s history. But May’s inside play down the stretch ended any chances of an ACC comeback.

Smith punctuated the victory in the final minute when he scaled high and reached way back to snag a one-handed offensive rebound before dunking it back in one fluid motion.

Some of the most notable names at the event didn’t even step on the floor. Roy Williams earned a standing ovation from the crowd when introduced along with the reigning national champions. Former Tar Heel great Phil Ford coached the UNC team, and Sam Perkins — a member of the 1982 championship team — provided lighthearted in-game commentary. And though Philadelphia 76ers star Allen Iverson was scheduled to appear, he did not show.

Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy, one attendee not famous for his basketball skills, presented Jamison, Stackhouse and former UNC point guard King Rice with a plaque, declaring Saturday “Carolina Pros Day.”

“We get paid to play ball, but it’s good to do a charity game to put a smile on a kid’s face and do it all for a good cause,” Jamison said.

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.