UNC National Championship Banner RARE 1981-1982 Michael Jordan, Dean Smith MINT

  

Never displayed, this vintage 41-year-old Championship season banner has been carefully stored and preserved in virtual mint condition and as such is VERY RARE. Having led six UNC teams to the NCAA Final Four without a national title (1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1977 and 1981), Dean Smith found his seventh Final Four to be the charm, winning his first NCAA National Championship as a head coach during this special season of 1982. For the first time, bumper stickers abounded the state that UNC stood for.

And there were special players on this 1982 team, including future NBA all-stars Michael Jordan, James Worthy, along with Sam Perkins, Matt Daugherty and Jimmy Black to round out the starting five. Sixth man Jimmy Braddock provided a boost with the team high free throw percentage, and Christ Brust's single point in the National Championship game was the margin of victory.

While the star player on this team was indisputably Junior power forward James Worthy who was known for his formidable drives to the basket, it was up and coming freshman shooting guard Michael Jordan who swished a jump shot with 0:17 seconds left to lift Carolina from one point behind to a 63 - 62 lead. As Georgetown headed down the court, presumably with the last possession, to seek to win the game, point guard Hoya's Freddie Brown threw an errant pass to UNC's James Worthy who had come out of defensive position and peripherally appeared to Brown as an offensive teammate. Worthy raced down the court and was fouled with 2 seconds remaining. Even though he scored no free throw Georgetown was left with only a desperation shot deep in the backcourt.