Category: Tar Heels in NBA

Former UNC standout Harrison Ingram meets an NBA and ACC basketball legend

It’s hard to imagine any 2024 NBA draftees having a better week than Harrison Ingram, who starred at UNC last year during his lone season in Chapel Hill.

As he improved throughout his lone season at North Carolina, which included career highs in points (12.2) and rebounds (8.8) per game, Harrison Ingram simultaneously boosted his NBA Draft stock.

Ingram proved to be a massive addition in the transfer portal, perfectly sliding into the starting power forward spot previously occupied by Pete Nance. Ingram brought UNC that rare combo that is becoming increasingly popular in today’s game: a power forward who can bully opponents down low, but also step out and shoot the 3-pointer when needed.

Mock drafts had Ingram going in the second round, but there was still some speculation as to what team would select him.

The San Antonio Spurs committed to Ingram last week, selecting him in the second round, with the 48th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Ingram will join the likes of rising NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama, last year’s first overall pick and longtime point guard NBA veteran Chris Paul, with the goal of restoring the Spurs to earlier-2000s championship glory.

Not even a week into his NBA career, Ingram met a San Antonio basketball legend: Tim Duncan, the 5-time NBA champion who played his college days at Wake Forest.

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Scroll to the second slide and watch Ingram’s face light up. He’s like a kid in a candy shop.

I bet there’s a pretty good feeling Ingram sees a lot more of Duncan this season, as I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Spurs legend at several games. Ingram is officially listed as a small forward on San Antonio’s latest depth chart, behind the likes of Julian Champagnie and 2023-2024 starter Devin Vassell.

How many chances will Ingram have to impress Duncan on the court this season?

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Vince Carter argues Kobe Bryant belongs in the GOAT debate with Jordan and LeBron

Vince Carter argues Kobe Bryant belongs in the GOAT debate with Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

These days the greatest of all time debate is usually between [autotag]Michael Jordan[/autotag] and Lebron James. However, soon-to-be Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer [autotag]Vince Carter[/autotag] feels there’s one name that should always be in that debate. 

While acknowledging the greatness Jordan and James brought to the court, Carter was vocal about the late great Kobe Bryant’s name being in the discussion. Carter’s main argument for having Bryant in the debate was his ability to mimic Jordan’s game.

The conversation took place on Bleacher Reports Taylor Rooks X podcast, with Carter breaking down Bryant’s greatness. Watch below how it all unfolds. 

Carter had the honor to play against Jordan, James, and Bryant. So, if there’s anyone who can weigh in on this debate, it would be him. It is always interesting to see who throws Bryant in their all-time debate, mostly from a slashing-style swingman.

Cater has embraced the next chapter of his career, becoming one of the best pro players to turn into a media personality. It’s nice hearing legends’ opinions on conversations like this to put things in perspective.

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Cam Johnson to play in Damar Hamlin’s celebrity basketball game

Cam Johnson to play in Damar Hamlin’s celebrity basketball game, featuring big names like Shareef O’Neal and Aaron Darnold.

If you didn’t get a chance to see [autotag]Cam Johnson[/autotag] play this past season for the Brooklyn Nets, then you are in luck with the former Tar Heel expected to play in Buffalo Bills’ player Damar Hamlin’s celebrity basketball game.

The announcement came Wednesday night via social media, confirming that Johnson will be one of the participants of the Chasing M’s Celebrity Basketball Game. The event is on Saturday, June 8th, in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, at North Allegheny Senior High School.

Johnson has deep ties to the state, playing high school ball there before eventually signing with Pitt and playing three seasons with the Panthers before transferring to UNC.

The lineup for this game is stacked, featuring huge names like Brandon Marshall, Josh Norman, Shareef O’Neal, Aaron Darnold, and Flavor Flav to name a few. Johnson, as of now is the only active NBA player announced for the game, so expect his on-court experience to take over.

Johnson had an injury-riddled season this past year, averaging 13.4 points and 4.3 rebounds. It will be intriguing to see how much Johnson drops against a game filled with NFL players.

Tickets are only $10, so, not that bad of a deal to see some professional athletes hoop.

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UNC star Harrison Ingram joins NBA legend on West Coast in mock draft

Tar Heel Nation wants Harrison Ingram back in Chapel Hill, but would be equally happy to see him selected in the 2024 NBA Draft.

It’s pretty much a given that Harrison Ingram will not be returning to the UNC basketball team this coming season.

Ingram declared for the NBA Draft on April 20, but didn’t hire an agent, which allows him to maintain his college eligibility. There’s no doubt North Carolina could use Ingram in the fall, as he’d provide an experienced veteran that’ll be hard to come by.

Ingram was later invited the the NBA Draft Combine, which he performed extremely well at. Most NBA mock drafts have Ingram going in the second round, but he deserves first-round consideration.

In College Sports Wire’s latest NBA Mock Draft, released on Wednesday, Ingram goes 53rd overall (second round) to the Golden State Warriors.

Imagine getting to play your rookie year with Steph Curry, one of the greatest 3-pointers shooters to every come through the college and NBA ranks. Golden State is not the same superteam it once was, but Curry is still finding ways to produce at 36.

If Ingram goes to the Warriors, I foresee him competing for the backup small forward with Gary Payton II. Ingram could also push for minutes at power forward, but he’ll have to battle Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga.

Ingram averaged 12.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game during his lone season as a Tar Heel, acting as a strong complement to Armando Bacot in the post. Ingram also carries a strong jump-shooting ability, helping take some of the focus away from Bacot.

I’m confident Ingram’s game will translate well to the NBA. Where exactly will he land?

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Former Tar Heel Harrison Ingram thrives in first 2024 NBA Draft Combine scrimmage

Harrison Ingram made Tar Heel Nation proud with his Wednesday performance at the NBA Draft Cobmine.

It’s officially NBA Draft Combine week.

Plenty of NBA hopefuls are working out in front of scouts, hoping to improve their draft stock or – in some cases – playing themselves into a draft selection.

We’ve seen plenty of college basketball stars declare for the NBA Draft, but maintain their college eligibility by not hiring an agent. Others enter themselves into the transfer portal while entering the NBA Draft.

One of many NBA hopefuls is former Tar Heel Harrison Ingram, who’s a borderline first/second-round pick. Ingram spent just one year at North Carolina, but his impact was immediately felt in the scoring and rebounding departments, as he averaged a career-high 12.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

There was some speculation on if Ingram would return to Chapel Hill for another season, but he officially said he would not on Thursday afternoon.

Ingram’s decision may very well be in part due to Wednesday’s combine performance, as he scored 14 points, grabbed four rebounds and stole the basketball three times.

The former UNC power forward delivered the type of performance that likely moves him into the first round. June’s NBA Draft is a historically weak one, so Ingram has the opportunity to be a top forward off the board.

Ingram’s game will translate well to the NBA. He can play both inside and out, shoot the ball well from anywhere, provide strong defense that is a rarity in the pros nowadays and – best of all – he’s a happy, team-oriented player.

Now that North Carolina knows Ingram’s decision, I expect some of the top recruits to give UNC even stronger consideration.

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The Brooklyn Nets announce they will retire Vince Carter’s jersey number

The Brooklyn Nets announce they will retire Vince Carter’s iconic No.15 jersey number into the rafters next season.

North Carolina Tar Heel [autotag]Vince Carter[/autotag] is having quite the year, and it just got much sweeter after the Brooklyn Nets announced their plans to retire his jersey number (No. 15) and raise it into the rafters next season. 

The news couldn’t come at a better time, with Carter already being celebrated for his soon-to-be induction to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which will take place in August. The Nets teased the announcement all week before revealing their plans to retire Carter’s jersey in a tribute video they plastered on their social channels. 

Carter played 22 seasons in the NBA, but his most memorable days were playing with the Toronto Raptors and New Jersey (Now Brooklyn) Nets. Carter’s arguably best season came the year he was traded to the Nets, averaging 27.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in the 2004-05 season. 

Carter played a pivotal role with the Nets, using his insane dunk package to fill the stat sheet and become a household name. The No.15 Nets jersey was iconic during the 2000s, a popular jersey that no matter your fandom was likely in your closet. 

It’s always nice to see players get their flowers while they are still breathing, even better when those players are Tar Heels. 

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Michael Jordan voted NBA’s GOAT in anonymous NBA player poll

NBA players voted between Michael Jordan and LeBron James, choosing who the GOAT is

There’s a select few professional basketball players you could include in the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate.

Most of that debate, however, centers on Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and former UNC/Chicago Bulls standout Michael Jordan.

James is continuing to dominate the NBA at age 39, averaging just over 25 points per game, against much younger stars like Luka and Wemby. MJ played in an era just as talented, but less complex, highlighted by going a perfect 6-for-6 in NBA Finals tries.

If you’ve gone back and watched Jordan highlights, his legacy started on TV during the 1982 National Championship game, when he hit “the shot” to beat Georgetown.

This debate could go on forever, but there’s one news outlet that made up its mind – a decision which UNC fans will like.

According to an anonymous NBA Player Poll, via The Athletic, MJ was voted the GOAT.

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Similar to LeBron, Jordan averaged 20 points per game in every professional season. This included a stretch of seven straight seasons (1987-1993) in which he averaged 30 points, plus two consecutive 20-point seasons with the Washington Wizards, to close out his playing career.

As amazing a player MJ was, his basketball ownership tenure never largely panned out. The Charlotte Hornets made the NBA Postseason three times under Jordan, but never won a playoff series.

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Coby White has Paul George’s vote for Most Improved Player

Former UNC point guard Coby White is putting up career numbers with the Chicago Bulls this year. Could he be the NBA’s Most Improved Player?

When a basketball team loses its starting point guard, it loses the orchestrator of its offense.

Such was the case with the Chicago Bulls entering the 2022-2023 season, who lost Lonzo Ball to a knee surgery. Ball has since suffered complications, delaying his return to the court.

Luckily for Chicago, it has another budding star at point guard in Coby White, who spent his lone collegiate season at UNC in 2018-2019. White helped lead North Carolina to the Sweet 16 that season, when it lost in the Sweet 16 to Auburn, by averaging 16.1 points per game.

White hasn’t started a majority of the Bulls’ games in three years, but is making the most of his opportunities. He’s averaging a career-high 19.6 points per game, which ranks Top-50 in the NBA, while reaching double-digits in 60 of Chicago’s 62 games.

This type of play is gaining White national attention, including from future Hall-of-Famer Paul George.

To give you an idea of how good PG is, he’s a 9-time All-Star and 2-time All-Defensive First Team. He’s part of a loaded Los Angeles Clippers squad with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, one that’s expected to contend for its first NBA title.

The Bulls (34-35) have been hovering around .500 most of the year, but White has them ninth in the Eastern Conference. This would normally put them outside of the playoffs, but introduction of the Play-In Tournament has Chicago 3.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Hawks for that final spot.

Unless White’s Bulls suffer an epic late-season collapse, he’ll lead them back to the playoffs for the first time in two years.

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Psycho T named FanDuel’s best college hoops player since 2000

Tyler Hansbrough was one of the greatest basketball players to come through UNC. He’s also one of college’s best players of all-time.

If you ever had an opportunity to see Tyler Hansbrough suit up for the North Carolina Tar Heels, you may not have realized you’d eventually be watching one of college basketball’s all-time greats.

Hansbrough, also known by his nickname “Psycho T” for his aggressive, on-court play, is the best big man to ever come through Chapel Hill. He was named All-ACC each of his four seasons at UNC, highlighted by a 2008 ACC Player of the Year selection.

To put in perspective how dominant Hansbrough was, he averaged 20.2 points per game as a Tar Heel.

Hansbrough was also part of arguably the greatest North Carolina team assembled, which won the 2009 National Championship over Michigan State. He went on to play seven NBA seasons, including his final one (2014-2015) with the Charlotte Hornets, but never enjoyed the same success he did at the collegiate level.

There’s been several uber-talented players at the college level over the years, but none quite like Hansbrough.

In FanDuel’s rankings of Top 25 college basketball players since 2000, Hansbrough topped the list.

Being up there with several other college greats is incredible, but to lead them is a whole additional level of awesome. Several players on this list have gone on to become future Hall-of-Famers in the NBA, such as Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and possibly Anthony Davis.

I don’t think many people saw Hansbrough’s pro career flaming out after seven years, but that sadly happens to even the best of college players. His best NBA season came in Year Two with the Indiana Pacers, when he averaged a career-best 11 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

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Coby White drops career high in win over Sacramento Kings

Former UNC basketball guard Coby White drops a career-high 37 points while dropping fellow Tar Heel Harrison Barnes in a highlight finish.

It’s been quite the season for former UNC basketball star [autotag]Coby White[/autotag], who continues to improve his chances for the NBA Most Improved Player of the Year award.

White has been posterizing the competition and added another poster Monday night against another fellow Tar Heel. White and the Chicago Bulls played in Sacramento, taking on [autotag]Harrison Barnes[/autotag] and the Kings.

The second quarter is where White added Barnes to his highlight reel, as both Tar Heels matched up at the top of the key. White utilizing his handles and speed, not only crossed up Barnes to get to the rim, but added an exclamation point with a thunderous dunk over the former UNC star.

The monstrous finish added to what ended up being a huge night for White, scoring a career-high 37 points and seven assists. White led the charge for Chicago, who came back after being down 22 points to beat the Kings 113-109.

He had the go-ahead bucket in the win, scoring a layup late to give the Bulls a 111-109 lead.

This is White’s fifth game in the last two months, eclipsing 30 points or more, adding to his MIP resume. White and the Bulls will be back in action Wednesday to take on the Utah Jazz.

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