North Carolina Tar Heels fans and college basketball as a whole were robbed of watching a potential dynasty in the early 80s because of the intimidating presence of the Ku Klux Klan.
As mentioned earlier, Charlotte Bobcats associate coach and Georgetown legend Patrick Ewing, appeared on “The Dan Patrick Show” where he discussed a variety of topics including his surprise at the Jason Kidd hiring. He also talked about the time he almost joined a Tar Heels team that already possessed players like Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Sam Perkins.
Ewing told Patrick that he joined Georgetown in part because of an unpleasant experience while on a recruiting trip at Chapel Hill.
North Carolina was a very good school. But when I went down there they put me in that Carolina Inn, and there was a big Ku Klux Klan Rally in North Carolina when I was there. And I’m like, “You know what? I’m not comin’ down here.”
In Ewing’s freshman season in 1981-82, Jordan and the Tar Heels won the championship and he won it in the 1983-84 season with Georgetown. Oh what could’ve been.
Check the interview out here:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d7R9UDUZ_w?feature=player_embedded&w=640&h=360]