University of North Carolina Athletics
Jordan Elected To Hall Of Fame
April 6, 2009 | Men's Basketball
April 6, 2009
DETROIT - Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player to ever play the game, was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Hall announced Monday at the Final Four in Detroit.
Jordan will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., at ceremonies in September. Jordan will become the ninth former Tar Heel to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. He joins Larry Brown, Ben Carnevale, Billy Cunningham, Bob McAdoo, Frank McGuire, Dean Smith, Roy Williams and James Worthy.
Jim Nantz of CBS Sports hosted the announcement ceremony. Jordan told Nantz in an interview that the first person he wanted to thank was "Coach Smith." Jordan went on to say that without Coach Smith, he would never have become the player he was.
Earlier in the same ceremony, North Carolina's Ty Lawson was presented the Bob Cousy Award as the top point guard in the country. Lawson's Tar Heels play for the national championship this evening against Michigan State. Lawson is the second Tar Heel to win the Cousy Award. Raymond Felton won the award in 2005. The night Felton was presented the Cousy, he went on to lead Carolina past Illinois in the NCAA title game.
