Honored North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players
Encyclopedia
Forty-three former North Carolina men's basketball
players are honored in the Dean E. Smith Center with banners representing their numbers
hung from the rafters. Of the 43 honored jerseys, eight are retired and cannot be worn by a future North Carolina basketball player.
of a National Championship
-winning team, an ACC Player of the Year, a first- or second-team All-America
, an NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
or a member of a gold medal
-winning Olympic
team. The most recently honored players are point guard Ty Lawson and shooting guard Wayne Ellington
, both of whom were officially recognized before the Tar Heels' game against North Carolina State
on February 13, 2010. Lawson qualified by being named the 2009 ACC Player of the Year, as well as being named a second-team All-American
in the same season by the AP
, NABC
and Sporting News. Ellington qualified by being named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2009 NCAA Tournament. The criterion was added in the Summer of 2009 and also made Donald Williams
, MOP of the 1993 tournament
, eligible to be honored in the rafters.
To have a jersey retired, a player must win one of the following six national player of the year awards: Associated Press
, National Association of Basketball Coaches
, Sporting News, John R. Wooden Award
, Oscar Robertson Trophy
, and Naismith College Player of the Year
.
Eight players (including Jack Cobb, whose jersey did not have a number) have had their jerseys retired. The most recent player to have his number retired is Tyler Hansbrough
, whose number 50 became the program's seventh number and eighth jersey retired during halftime of the Tar Heels' matchup against Duke
on February 10, 2010. He qualified for the honor by winning all six of the required national player of the year awards in the 2007–08 season.
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
players are honored in the Dean E. Smith Center with banners representing their numbers
Squad number
In team sports, the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, uniform number or simply a number is the number worn on a player's uniform, to identify and distinguish each player from others wearing the same or similar uniforms...
hung from the rafters. Of the 43 honored jerseys, eight are retired and cannot be worn by a future North Carolina basketball player.
Criteria
To be honored, a player must be the Most Valuable PlayerMost Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of a National Championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
-winning team, an ACC Player of the Year, a first- or second-team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
, an NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player
At the conclusion of the NCAA men's and women's Division I basketball championships , the Associated Press selects a Most Outstanding Player. The MOP need not be, but almost always is a member of the Championship team, especially since the third place game was eliminated after 1981...
or a member of a gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
-winning Olympic
Basketball at the Summer Olympics
Basketball has been a Summer Olympics sport for men consistently since 1936. Prior to its inclusion as a medal sport, it was held as demonstration event in 1904 and 1932, both in the United States. Women's basketball was played in the Olympics only since 1976....
team. The most recently honored players are point guard Ty Lawson and shooting guard Wayne Ellington
Wayne Ellington
Wayne Robert Ellington Jr. , is an American basketball player who was drafted 28th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association...
, both of whom were officially recognized before the Tar Heels' game against North Carolina State
2009–10 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team
The 2009–10 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team represented NC State University in the 2009–10 men's college basketball season. The team was coached by Sidney Lowe and played its home games at the RBC Center in Raleigh, NC. The Wolfpack is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The...
on February 13, 2010. Lawson qualified by being named the 2009 ACC Player of the Year, as well as being named a second-team All-American
2009 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
An All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not...
in the same season by the AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, NABC
National Association of Basketball Coaches
The National Association of Basketball Coaches , headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of college men's basketball coaches...
and Sporting News. Ellington qualified by being named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2009 NCAA Tournament. The criterion was added in the Summer of 2009 and also made Donald Williams
Donald Williams (basketball)
Donald Williams is a former American professional basketball player.Born in Garner, North Carolina, Williams played for Garner High School before going on to play at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....
, MOP of the 1993 tournament
1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1993, and ended with the championship game on April 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, eligible to be honored in the rafters.
To have a jersey retired, a player must win one of the following six national player of the year awards: Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, National Association of Basketball Coaches
National Association of Basketball Coaches
The National Association of Basketball Coaches , headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of college men's basketball coaches...
, Sporting News, John R. Wooden Award
John R. Wooden Award
The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award and recognizes the All–America Teams.The awards, given by the Los...
, Oscar Robertson Trophy
Oscar Robertson Trophy
The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to outstanding men's college basketball players by the United States Basketball Writers Association . The trophy is considered to be the oldest of its kind and has been given out since 1959...
, and Naismith College Player of the Year
Naismith College Player of the Year
The Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball , Dr. James Naismith....
.
Eight players (including Jack Cobb, whose jersey did not have a number) have had their jerseys retired. The most recent player to have his number retired is Tyler Hansbrough
Tyler Hansbrough
Andrew Tyler Hansbrough is an American basketball player for the Indiana Pacers. Hansbrough completed a college basketball career with the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team in 2009, and was drafted into the NBA by the Indiana Pacers with the 13th pick of the 1st round of the 2009 NBA...
, whose number 50 became the program's seventh number and eighth jersey retired during halftime of the Tar Heels' matchup against Duke
2009–10 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Duke University in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski, the Blue Devils won the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, claiming the school's fourth national title.Duke led...
on February 10, 2010. He qualified for the honor by winning all six of the required national player of the year awards in the 2007–08 season.
Honored players
- Players whose numbers are retired are shown with a blue background
!No.!!Name!!Years!!Criteria met
|-
|NC>Cartwright Carmichael Cartwright CarmichaelCartwright "Cart" Carmichael was the first member of the North Carolina Tar Heels to earn All-America honors in any sport, when he was named to the 1923 first team for men's basketball, an honor he also received in 1924...1921-24 style="background:#99BADD;"
|NCJack Cobb Jack CobbJack Cobb was a college basketball player at the University of North Carolina in the 1920s. Cobb led the Tar Heels to their first undefeated season in 1924 and to three straight Southern Conference titles . Cobb was named national player of the year for 1926 by the Helms Athletic Foundation...1923-26 style="background:#99BADD;"
| |20George Glamack George GlamackGeorge Gregory Glamack was an American basketball player.The 6'7" giant, during that era, attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Glamack, an All-America in 1940 and 1941, was nicknamed the Blind Bomber because of his poor eyesight and remarkably accurate hook shot...1938-41 >-
|8Jim Jordan Jim Jordan (basketball)James "Jim" Jordan was an American basketball player.He played collegiately for the University of North Carolina from 1944 to 1946. Although he originally attended Mount St. Mary's University, where he was the team's leading scorer, the U.S. Navy transferred him to the ROTC in Chapel Hill...1944-46 >-
|13John "Hook" Dillon John "Hook" DillonJohn "Hook" Dillon was an American basketball player.He played collegiately for the University of North Carolina from 1945 to 1948. Prior to attending UNC, he previously played in the Savannah Ice Delivery city league and Benedictine Military Academy.Dillon earned All-America honors in 1946 and...1945-48 style="background:#99BADD;"
|10Lennie Rosenbluth Lennie RosenbluthLeonard Robert "Lennie" Rosenbluth is an American former basketball player.-Biography:...1954-57 >-
|35Pete Brennan Pete BrennanPeter Joseph "Pete" Brennan is a retired American basketball player.He played collegiately for the University of North Carolina, where he was chosen ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year in the 1957-58 season....1955-58 >-
|40Tommy Kearns Tommy KearnsThomas Francis "Tommy" Kearns Jr. is a retired American basketball player.He played collegiately for the University of North Carolina, where he played an integral role on the 1957 National Championship team...1955-58 >-
|12Lee Shaffer Lee ShafferLee Philip Shafer II is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'7" forward, Shaffer starred at the University of North Carolina, where he was the ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 1960. He then played three seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the...1957-60 >-
|22York Larese York LareseYork Bruno Larese is a retired American basketball player and coach. In his childhood, he attended St. Ann's academy in Queens....1958-61 >-
|35Doug Moe Doug MoeDouglas Edwin Moe is an American professional basketball coach. He is most closely associated with the Denver Nuggets franchise....1958-61 >-
|11Larry Brown Larry Brown (basketball)Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....1960-63 >-
|32Billy Cunningham Billy CunninghamWilliam John "Billy" Cunningham is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid.- Beginnings :...1962-65 >-
|22Bob Lewis Bob Lewis (basketball)Robert Franklin Lewis is a retired American basketball player.He played collegiately for the University of North Carolina, where he played an integral role on the 1967 ACC Champion and Final Four team. He averaged 27.4 points per game in 1966, the second-highest single-season average in UNC history...1964-67 >-
|44Larry Miller Larry Miller (basketball)Lawrence James Miller is a retired American basketball player.As the All American star of his Catasauqua High School team, Miller scored 46 of his team's 66 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in a 65-62 win over Steelton High in the 1964 Pennsylvania state playoffs at the Hershey Arena.A 6'4"...1965-68 >-
|33Charlie Scott Charlie ScottCharles Thomas Scott is an American former professional basketball player. He played two seasons in the now-defunct American Basketball Association and eight seasons in the National Basketball Association .A 6'5" guard/forward from the Laurinburg Institute...1967-70 >-
|31Bill Chamberlain Bill ChamberlainWilliam Martin Chamberlain is a retired American professional basketball player in the ABA and the NBA.He played for the Memphis Tams and Kentucky Colonels of the ABA and the Phoenix Suns of the NBA....1969-72 >-
|44Dennis Wuycik Dennis WuycikDennis Wuycik is a retired American basketball player. He was named to the 1973 ABA All-Rookie team, and averaged 4.4 points per game during his ABA career.-External links:...1969-72 >-
|35Bob McAdoo 1971-72 >-
|34Bobby Jones 1971-74 >-
|21Mitch Kupchak Mitch KupchakMitchell "Mitch" Kupchak is a retired American basketball player and current general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers since the 2000–01 NBA season after predecessor Jerry West moved to the Memphis Grizzlies organization....1972-76 >-
|24Walter Davis Walter Davis (basketball)Walter Paul Davis is a retired American basketball player. A 6'6" forward/guard, Davis spent 15 years in the National Basketball Association, spending the bulk of those years with the Phoenix Suns...1973-77 >-
|45Tommy LaGarde Tom LaGardeThomas Joseph LaGarde is a retired American basketball player who played in the NBA from 1977 to 1985. After playing collegiately at the University of North Carolina, LaGarde was selected 9th overall in the first round of the 1977 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets.At 6'10" and 220 lb, LaGarde...1973-77 style="background:#99BADD;"
|12Phil Ford 1974-78 >-
|31Mike O'Koren Mike O'KorenMike O'Koren is a retired American professional basketball player, a former associate head coach of the Washington Wizards from 2005 to 2008, and a former assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets from 1999 to 2003. He was selected by the New Jersey Nets in the 1st round of the 1980 NBA Draft...1976-80 >-
|30Al Wood Al WoodMartin Alphonzo Wood is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1st round of the 1981 NBA Draft. A 6'6" guard-forward from the University of North Carolina, Wood played in 6 NBA seasons for 4 different teams...1977-81 style="background:#99BADD;"
|52James Worthy James WorthyJames Ager Worthy is a retired Hall of Fame American college and professional basketball player. Named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, "Big Game James" was a seven-time NBA All-Star and three-time NBA champion...1979-82 >-
|41Sam Perkins Sam PerkinsSamuel Perkins is a retired American professional basketball player, also known by the nicknames "Sleepy Sam" and "Big Smooth." He attended Samuel J. Tilden High School, Shaker High School and the University of North Carolina, where he was a teammate of Michael Jordan...1980-84 style="background:#99BADD;"
|23Michael Jordan Michael JordanMichael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...1981-84 >-
|42Brad Daugherty 1982-86 >-
|30Kenny Smith Kenny SmithKenneth "The Jet" Smith is a retired National Basketball Association player and current TV basketball analyst, primarily for Inside the NBA on TNT.-Early life:...1983-87 >-
|34J.R. Reid 1986-89 >-
|34George Lynch George Lynch (basketball)George DeWitt Lynch III is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. He holds the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill basketball record for most career steals....1989-93 >-
|00Eric Montross Eric MontrossEric Scott Montross is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA....1990-94 >-
|21Donald Williams Donald Williams (basketball)Donald Williams is a former American professional basketball player.Born in Garner, North Carolina, Williams played for Garner High School before going on to play at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....1992-95 >-
|42Jerry Stackhouse Jerry StackhouseJerry Darnell Stackhouse is an American professional basketball player who plays both shooting guard and small forward. He most recently played for the Miami Heat. He is now an NBA TV analyst but remains as an eligible free agent....1993-95 >-
|30Rasheed Wallace Rasheed WallaceRasheed Abdul Wallace is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played from 1995 to 2010 in the National Basketball Association...1993-95 >-
|15Vince Carter Vince CarterVincent Lamar "Vince" Carter is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns. He is a shooting guard who can also play small forward....1995-98 style="background:#99BADD;"
|33Antawn Jamison Antawn JamisonAntawn Cortez Jamison is an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He currently plays power forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers and was a member of the USA National Team for the 2006 FIBA World Championships...1995-98 >-
|00Brendan Haywood Brendan HaywoodBrendan Todd Haywood is an American professional basketball player. The 7' 0", 263-lb. center currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association.-College:...1997–2001 >-
|40Joseph Forte Joseph ForteJoseph Xavier "Joe" Forte is an American professional basketball player.-Beginnings:Forte got his start at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. There, Forte played under the instruction of legendary high school prep coach Morgan Wootten. Forte's teammate at DeMatha, Keith Bogans,...1999–2001 >-
|2Raymond Felton Raymond FeltonRaymond Bernard Felton, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association . A point guard, Felton is listed at 6'1 and 205 lbs. Felton played college basketball for the North Carolina under head coach Roy...2002-05 >-
|42Sean May 2002-05 >-
|32Rashad McCants Rashad McCantsRashad Dion McCants is an American professional basketball player.-High school career:...2002-05 style="background:#99BADD;"
|50Tyler Hansbrough Tyler HansbroughAndrew Tyler Hansbrough is an American basketball player for the Indiana Pacers. Hansbrough completed a college basketball career with the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team in 2009, and was drafted into the NBA by the Indiana Pacers with the 13th pick of the 1st round of the 2009 NBA...2005-09 >-
|5Ty Lawson 2006-09 >-
|22Wayne Ellington Wayne EllingtonWayne Robert Ellington Jr. , is an American basketball player who was drafted 28th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association...2006-09 NCAA Tournament MOP
External links