In celebration of Easter Sunday, let’s talk about baskets—not just the ones filled with candy and toys, but the kind that bring joy on the basketball court.
If you’re someone who celebrates Easter and has kids, there’s a good chance you spent the morning watching them search for their Easter baskets—maybe even hidden by the Easter Bunny. In my house growing up, that was a yearly tradition: the thrill of the hunt, the satisfaction of the find.
That got me thinking about a different kind of “basket”—the ones that count on the scoreboard. After all, the term “basketball” comes from the sport’s earliest days, when James Naismith used literal peach baskets as goals. So in the spirit of the day, let’s revisit some of the most unforgettable baskets in North Carolina Tar Heels basketball history.
You can’t start a list like this without going back to 1982. In the national championship game, with the clock winding down, Dean Smith turned to a freshman named Mike Jordan for a clutch shot. Jordan nailed it, delivering the title to UNC and the first national championship to Smith. Safe to say, things turned out pretty well for that “Mike Jordan” guy.
Fast forward to 1994 and the Carolina women’s team was in the national title game, trailing by two with less than a second on the clock. Charlotte Smith took the inbounds pass and drained a three at the buzzer, securing UNC’s first—and still only—women’s basketball championship. Talk about delivering under pressure.
Championships aren’t the only time legendary shots are made. In the 2017 NCAA Tournament, Luke Maye delivered one of the most iconic shots in recent memory, a game-winner that punched UNC’s ticket to the Final Four. Every Tar Heel fan who saw it remembers where they were.
And then there’s Duke. The rivalry has produced countless moments, but two shots stand out for UNC fans. In 1974, Walter Davis capped off a comeback from eight points down in the final 17 seconds with a long jumper—before the three-point line even existed—that forced overtime and helped UNC win.
The second came in 2005, when Marvin Williams grabbed a loose ball after a missed free throw, took to the air, and banked in a wild shot—plus the foul. It sealed a massive win and remains one of the rivalry’s most electrifying moments.
Of course, not all great baskets are game-winners. Sometimes, they’re just unforgettable. Like when Tyler Hansbrough, of all people, hit a wild three-pointer during UNC’s famous 2006 win at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium.
And then there’s Marcus Paige’s miraculous double-clutch three in the 2016 national title game—one of the most jaw-dropping shots in college basketball history, even if the ending wasn’t in UNC’s favor.
And who says “baskets” have to be jump shots? Let’s not forget the powerful dunks that rocked the Dean Dome and beyond.
There are so many iconic baskets in UNC history, and these are just a few. Now, it’s your turn—what are your favorite Tar Heel baskets of all time?
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