By: Reagan Allen
Photos by Margaux Hunter
There are many words to describe Larry Brown, MVP, All-star, hall of famer, and even Olympian but his basketball career officially took off when he labeled himself a Tar Heel. For decades UNC-Chapel Hill has produced talented players from Michael Jordan to Sam Perkins but not only that -they have cultivated a strong Carolina family.
Brown came to UNC in 1960 where he played under legendary coaches Frank Maguire and Dean Smith. He said they mentored him on and off the court.
Larry Brown: “Everybody I always felt was jealous about the relationship that Carolina players had toward one another. They all wondered why our family was so strong. And I think it started with Coach McGuire and Coach Smith.”
The two coaches helped Brown navigate college life and enhance his skills on the basketball court. After his time at Carolina, Brown was selected for the USA Olympics team and immediately started practicing with new players and a new coach.
Larry Brown: “We had a unique experience, we went over to Pearl Harbor, to practice for 30 days. And we stayed in the Marine barracks and actually shared bunk beds. We’re the first college team that was ever really an underdog and we ended up Beating the Russians and winning a gold medal. So that was something that was pretty incredible.”
Brown’s time as part of the Carolina Basketball program helped prepare him for the big stage. However, he said that there were differences between the two.
Larry Brown: “Naturally, when you represent your country, it’s a whole different dimension. When you put on a Carolina Jersey, and your part of the program and all the tradition here and what’s going on before you and after you, it means so much.”
Phil Ford, longtime friend of Brown and A Tar Heel alum, credits UNC for instilling positive values and shaping his basketball skills.
Phil Ford: “It’s a different set of values when you’re playing at Carolina. I always wanted to be a Tar Heel. So, when I got the opportunity to come here, I just wanted to play in Carmichael auditorium.”
He joined the list of Carolina alumni who’ve won gold in Montreal at the 1976 Olympics.
Phil Ford: “Coach Brown won a gold medal; Charlie Scott won a gold medal. And the Olympics wasn’t something that I was looking at when I chose North Carolina. But when Coach Smith was going to be the coach of the Olympic team, it was really the back of my mind that’s something that I would like to do.”
Later, the two players-turned coaches-worked together in leading the Detroit Pistons to an NBA Championship in 2004.
Phil Ford: “When I was with Coach Brown, it was just a sea of knowledge out there for you to grab. It was just an honor for me to be on his staff and an honor for me to sit beside him on the bench.”
David Hanners was assistant coach to Larry Brown for the Detroit Pistons and has worked closely with him and Coach Smith . He sees similarities in how they led their teams.
David Hanners: “Their love for their players, other respect for the players, their knowledge of the game, their curiosity about the game. They were both in my opinion, two best coaches that have ever coached.”
Brown’s tie to Carolina basketball is stronger than ever with three granddaughters in attendance at UNC.
Larry Brown: I don’t know how many people in my family have gone here. I’ve got a couple granddaughters left, and I’m hoping that they might be lucky enough to come here. I think when you represent your country you represent your family as well and they take as much pride in it as you do.”
I’m Reagan Allen, reporting
