We’re fully into the month of May on the calendar, which means a few things in the sporting world. Several of the college sports are getting down to the nitty gritty, with lacrosse soon crowning champions and the baseball and softball NCAA Tournaments soon to start. Meanwhile, in the pros, the MLB season is in full swing, the WNBA season is just getting underway, while two other leagues are only partway through their playoff journeys.
The spring and summer months feature the multi-week long battles that are the NBA and NHL playoffs. Around here at Tar Heel Blog, we have several Carolina Hurricanes fans on staff and probably as readers, there aren’t really any obvious UNC connections other than them being another local team. (It would be very cool if UNC sponsored an NCAA hockey team at some point, though).
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However, there are plenty of connections to the NBA playoffs, as many Tar Heels have gone on to NBA careers following their time in Chapel Hill. Many of those names have also had notable moments and careers in the playoffs. It’s with that in mind that I ask today’s Question of the Day. What’s your most favorite or most memorable moment from a Tar Heel in the NBA Playoffs?
Several Carolina alumns had their moments in the NBA Playoffs, but of course, Michael Jordan has an abnormally large amount of them. Whether it be his shot over Craig Ehlo, his “flu game” in the 1997 NBA Finals, or winning the 1998 Finals with the shot over Bryon Russell, there are plenty to choose from. There are plenty I didn’t even get to in those examples.
However, I’m going to go a little off the board for my answer. One of my favorite ever Tar Heels whose time in Chapel Hill I can actually remember is Danny Green. It was especially fun watching him go from a second round pick and somewhat of an afterthought in the pros to a legitimate option for the Spurs, including in 2013.
While his San Antonio team didn’t end up winning that particular championship over the Heat — they did get revenge the following year — Green was incredible in the 2013 Finals. Including a 27-point, 6-10 from three effort in Game 3, Green led San Antonio in scoring in two games in the series and may very well have won Series MVP had the Spurs held on to finish off the series in Game 6. He ended up shooting an incredible 55.5% from three over the course of the seven games.
That’s my answer, but we want to hear from you! What is your favorite game or memory from a Tar Heel in the NBA Playoffs?
