[The Poet]

One last bump, since if anyone deserves it this man does.

I could relate dozens of stories about Dean Smith. I could talk about how he was promoted from his assistant position after Frank McGuire and his Underground Railroad of tough (and often nasty) NYC street ballers were chased out of Chapel Hill for landing the program on probation for violations, with three stipulations from the Board of Regents: No gambling, no fighting, and no probation - and no mention of winning games. Or about how, in January 1965, after a loss to Wake Forest, and a week later, after one to N.C. State, he was hung in effigy on campus, since the student body (wrongly) did NOT think winning was secondary, and how his players not only tore down those effigies but also turned their season - and the program - around, both out of anger and in support of their young coach. Or how he not only integrated ACC basketball in 1966 when he convinced Charlie Scott that UNC would welcome him at home, but how he also had previously led the way to integration of the town of Chapel Hill itself. Or how he is one of the rarest of birds, not only winning a NCAA championship as both player and coach but also coaching his team to a NIT crown (in 1971, when it still actually MEANT something) and an Olympic gold medal. Or how he faced perhaps the greatest pressure of his career in those 1976 Olympic games, not only because it came after gold was stolen from the U.S. in 1972 when the refs gave the Soviets 3 chances with no time left on the clock to take that matchup for America's first defeat in international basketball, but also because he loaded that '76 team with 4 Carolina players (albeit 4 damn good ones, in Walter Davis, Phil Ford, Mitch Kupchak, and Tommy LaGarde) due to his belief that a team which PLAYED as a team was more likely to be successful than a group of all-stars who barely knew each other. Or how he inspired so much love and loyalty in his players that even one as prideful as Michael Jordan always wore a pair of UNC shorts under his Bulls one when he was winning rings in Chicago, or how he is at least as proud of his players who became successful doctors, lawyers, or businessmen as of those who had NBA success, or how he is proudest of the fact that, during his career, 96% of his lettermen graduated. But I will limit myself to one story which perhaps best illustrates what kind of a man Dean Smith truly is.

The 1982 NCAA championship game was not only one of the classic contests in the history of the tournament, but was also one hyped to as high a degree as any has ever been. It matched up two talented team, coached by two close friends in Dean and John Thompson of Georgetown, and though most experts admitted that the Tarheels were extremely gifted as players they also avowed that Georgetown would win because "Dean cannot win "The Big One". Six time previously Coach Smith had taken teams to the Final Four, and six times he had gone back to Chapel Hill empty-handed. The pundits felt that, as great a coach as he was, Dean's "system" basketball was ill-suited for a one-game all-or-nothing trial. Now, many of you remember the freshman Jordan's shot from the corner that gave Carolina the 1-point edge with 35 seconds left. Many of you remember Fred Brown's pass to James Worthy shortly after that "sealed" the victory. Likely fewer of you recall that another freshman, Patrick Ewing of the Hoyas, was early on the most valuable player for UNC, as he in his youthful enthusiasm "scored" 8 of their first 12 points on goaltending calls. Fewer still remember that, after that errant late pass, Worthy almost gave the game away, for instead of driving the open court for a jam and a 3-point lead (in a time before the 3-point shot in college ball), he circled around and pulled the ball out in an attempt to run off the clock and, after getting fouled, MISSED BOTH FREETHROWS, thus giving Georgetown the last shot for a potential win - which they missed. But do you know what I remember most? After the game was over, and the Heels were - at long last - cutting down the nets, Dean Smith was being interviewed on the court. The broadcaster (Jim Nance?? That I don't remember.) kept pressing Dean about "finally getting the monkey off his back", while Dean kept deflecting that by saying things like he never felt that way, that he was proud of all his previous teams and not just this one, that he sorry how his success came at the expense of a friend and program for which he had great respect, etc. Finally, wrapping up the interview, the analyst said that he would let Coach Smith go now so that he could get his net. Dean gave that shy little smile of his, held up a meagre piece of string maybe 3 inches long, and said "I've got my net."

You don't often see such humble humility from one at the apex, no matter the persuit.