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University of North Carolina Athletics
McAdoo Elected to Basketball Hall of Fame
May 24, 2000 | Men's Basketball
May 24, 2000
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Dean Smith Quote on Bob McAdoo being selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame
"We are delighted Bob has been selected for the Basketball Hall of Fame," says former UNC head coach and Hall of Famer Dean Smith. "Anyone who has coached him as I have appreciates his talent, his attitude and his competitiveness. He surely was deserving and will be an honor to the court. We only had him one year (at UNC) and it was a successful one for him and his team." |
ob McAdoo, the 1972 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player, is one of six persons elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., it was announced Wednesday. McAdoo, who played at the University of North Carolina for just one season in 1971-72, is currently an assistant coach for the Miami Heat.
He will enter the Hall of Fame with former Indiana University and Detroit Pistons guard Isiah Thomas, Kentucky athletic director C.M. Newton, Tennessee women's head coach Pat Summitt, DeMatha High School head coach Morgan Wootten and NBA pioneer Danny Biasone. Wootten coached current UNC guard Joseph Forte at DeMatha.
"We are delighted Bob has been selected for the Basketball Hall of Fame," says former UNC head coach and Hall of Famer Dean Smith. "Anyone who has coached him as I have appreciates his talent, his attitude and his competitiveness. He surely was deserving and will be an honor to the court. We only had him one year (at UNC) and it was a successful one for him and his team."
McAdoo was the only junior college transfer ever awarded a scholarship by Coach Smith. He was a key performer on one of the best teams in school history. A Greensboro, N.C. native, he came to UNC from Vincennes Junior College and immediately stepped into the pivot and helped Carolina to a 26-5 record in 1971-72. The Tar Heels won the ACC regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Final Four.
McAdoo was the leading scorer (19.5 points per game) and rebounder (10.1 boards per contest) on a well-balanced squad that featured five players who scored in double figures. He was an All-ACC selection and an all-tournament choice at the ACC Tournament, the NCAA East Regional and the Final Four. He was also the MVP of the ACC Tournament. For a big man, he was an excellent shooter and his long-range scoring ability cleared out the lane for forwards Dennis Wuycik, Bill Chamberlain and Bobby Jones.
McAdoo had such a tremendous season that Coach Smith suggested he make himself eligible for the NBA draft, the first UNC player to enter the draft with college eligibility remaining. The move paid off as McAdoo was the NBA Rookie of the Year for the Buffalo Braves in 1973 and the league's MVP in 1975. A five-time all-star as a professional, McAdoo was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers during the world championship seasons of 1982 and 1985.
