Heels in the League 04/30/09 (NBA Special)

04/30/09

At first I was not going to do a post about the “Heels in the League” (NBA Playoffs) for April 30th because there were no games that featured any ex North Carolina players. However, after thinking it over a bit, there were a couple of things that I felt were worth talking about. And this post would be the perfect place to speak about them, since both are UNC related and both are about ex players or coaches. First, I have not followed on this post the Denver Nuggets this season, because no players from Chapel Hill are on them, but their head coach is a Tar Heel. So I will touch on that, as well as the fact that another recognition could be coming for Michael Jordan (and many others).

First, let me say what a great job George Karl is doing with the Denver Nuggets, who are in the second round of the NBA Playoffs after beating New Orleans 4 to 1. Karl and his team will now take on the Dallas Mavericks in the next round. I can still remember when Bill Guthridge decided he was stepping down from the post of head coach at Chapel Hill Karl asked his team (the Nuggets) if he could speak to his alma mater, they refused. I have often wondered what would have happened if he had taken the job at UNC. And while I am extremely happy with how things have come out, it is just one of those many “what if’s” that one carries with him. Once again, congrats to head coach George Karl, and best of luck in round two.

The other thing I wanted to touch on is the fact that the ’92 Olympic Dream Team has been nominated for the Olympic Hall of Fame. Of course that was the team we all grew to know as the “Dream Team” and featured UNC’s very own Michael Jordan. All I can say about this “it’s about time!” In a world where we want to always have the best of the best, this team was as close as you can get to having that. From Tar Heel Blue it tells us that fans can vote for who gets in, as well as tells us how many individuals and teams make it in:

From now through June 16, fans can cast their votes for the 2009 class of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame online at www.teamusa.org. The inducted class will include five individuals, one team and one Paralympian, as well as three additional individuals: a coach, veteran and special contributor. The inductees will be revealed in early July and will be honored at a black-tie induction ceremony on August 12 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame presented by Allstate is the only national sports Hall of Fame that includes fan voting.

It would be pretty cool that on the same year that MJ is inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame he also gets this honor. And to all, both from the “Dream Team” and the other nominees, which includes 15 individuals (Teresa Edwards, Gary Hall, Sr., Michael Johnson, Picabo Street), five teams and five Paralympians, congratulations and the best of luck in making it to the Olympic Hall of Fame.

Let me leave you with a small video of the Dream Team’s highlights:

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