College Basketball Mourns the Loss of a Legend
On Sunday, the basketball world and North Carolina specifically were in mourning after it was announced that long-time North Carolina Tar Heels coach Dean Smith had died at 83.
While a coach with the Tar Heels, Smith had an unprecedented impact on the sport, its players, coaches and social issues of the day.
It is likely that no other coach has been tied to basketball figures that were more influential in the sport as Smith was. Smith played for the famous Phog Allen, who played for the game’s inventor James Naismith.
Smith coached Michael Jordan, who is known by many as the best to ever step onto a basketball court.
Smith’s coaching tenure was December of 1962 through March of 1997 but his legacy spans much more time than that. Only Coach Smith and former Indiana coach Bob Knight played for, as well as coached a national championship team.
John Wooden, the famous former coach of the UCLA Bruins and considered by many as one of the best coaches ever, said Smith was the best ever teacher of basketball.
When the NCAA Basketball Hall of Fame inducted its first class it included Naismith, Wooden, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson and of course, Dean Smith.
In 1997, upon his retirement, Smith had the most career wins in college basketball with 879. He won two national championships, coached 11 Final Fours and had 27 straight seasons where his teams won at least 20 games, when teams played no more than 30 per season.
He coached the gold medal winning U.S. Olympic team in 1976 and was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013, the highest honor that can be bestowed to a civilian in the U.S.
He fought against segregation, was against the Vietnam War and was anti-death penalty. His legacy while at North Carolina spanned much broader than just the basketball court.
Smith was able to produce great coaches such as his former players Larry Brown, Roy Williams and George Karl.
His former players who went on to stardom in the NBA are countless.
Topping that list is Michael Jordan. The freshman Jordan sank the shot in 1982 that gave Smith his first NCAA national championship. He went on to be the greatest to every play in the NBA. He called Smith his second father.
Charlie Scott was the first black to play basketball at North Carolina. One of Smith’s greatest legacies will be that he integrated or desegregated the Atlantic Coast Conference. He was an avid recruiter through the south when he risked being fired. Scott helped UNC to two Final Fours in his three seasons.
Other greats to play under Smith include Phil Ford, James Worthy, Sam Perkins, Vince Carter, Bob McAdoo, Billy Cunningham, Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace, Mitch Kupchak and many others.
Basketball and the world lost a great man on Sunday.
