Speaking of alumni games...

[gary-7]

I had totally forgotten about this one until Adam Lucas reminded everyone today.
Charity game back in '87, all for fun of course with old and young players mixed in, but at about 30 minutes in check out the UNC lineup:
Ford, Scott, MJ, Worthy, Perkins. A big wow for all UNC fans.

 

[gary-7]

There's also a terrific MJ UNC highlight real at halftime.

 

[ChapelHeeled]

There's also a terrific MJ UNC highlight real at halftime.

Gary, that game was a great game to watch at the time. I have it recorded but I do intend to go back and watch the entire game sometime this week. Thanks for posting and folks, these are the roots of great college basketball as well as great UNC basketball. It was an awesome tribute to the two schools involved...

 

[gary-7]

Gary, that game was a great game to watch at the time. I have it recorded but I do intend to go back and watch the entire game sometime this week. Thanks for posting and folks, these are the roots of great college basketball as well as great UNC basketball. It was an awesome tribute to the two schools involved...

It really was, and it was great to relive it.
Couple of other notes:
1. Vitale was right in criticizing UCLA fans for not even selling out that game. I mean, what a collection of past and contemporary basketball talent and legends from both schools... plus it was a Wooden tribute! You wouldn't have been able to get in the building in Chapel Hill.
2. Speaking of lineups, Dean having Phil, The Jet, MJ, Big Game James and Sam on the floor at the end when it got serious was great. Those guys were just not gonna let Carolina lose, even in a charity game.

 

[grillheel]

I've got to say, I loved watching this, especially watching Phil, who was out of the league by this time, I think, but was so FAST with the ball! Really fun, thanks Gary!

 

[gary-7]

I've got to say, I loved watching this, especially watching Phil, who was out of the league by this time, I think, but was so FAST with the ball! Really fun, thanks Gary!

Yeah, he was. He had gone through his early travails with alcohol after dealing with double vision following an injury in KC and then getting (frankly) dicked around by Larry Brown in NJ. By all rights Phil should've been at the peak of a long NBA career in 1987.
A lot of people forget that not only was Phil Rookie-of-the-Year, he was widely considered by his peers to be the best PG in the NBA by only his second season (heck, I think I still have the article somewhere). It's such a shame that career was cut short... and it was classic Dean Smith to reach out and bring him back to Chapel Hill on the coaching staff. I really wish he was on our bench right now.
And yeah, it was pretty special seeing Phil running the floor again in that game.