North Carolina Tar Heels: Antawn Jamison Enters NC Sports HOF
The North Carolina Tar Heels witnessed one of their own added to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in the form of Antawn Jamison.
1996 was a simpler time. The North Carolina Tar Heels had just been to the Final Four and watched the two sparkplugs of that team, both sophomores, leave for the NBA. There was mild panic. What would happen without Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse, not to mention Donald Williams?
The answer is that nothing happened to them. Thirteen and omniscient, I knew better. Coach Dean Smith had brought in the next batch of new stars. They just would have to play a little earlier than we were ready for.
That freshman class contained Vince Carter, Ademola Okulaja, and Providence High’s Antawn Jamison. Despite living in Charlotte, I knew nothing of Jamison except that he was from Charlotte. The high-flying Carter got most of the hype.
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Now Jamison has been entered into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. His induction occurred last night among eight others including Rod Brind’Amour of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Jamison was inducted because he was not only a good college player, he was a great one. Jamison was the 1998 Player of the Year and his jersey hangs in the front row with Michael Jordan and Phil Ford in Blue, not the white of the honored jerseys behind him. No one will wear 33 for the Tar Heels ever again.
Jamison played in the post area for the Heels as the power forward. He could jump and he could shoot from any position. In fact the most likely thing about a Jamison shot was that it would be off balance, but it was equally true that it would usually go in. His play led to two Final Fours before he left after his junior year for the NBA.
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His best seasons were likely with the Washington Wizards when Jamison averaged almost twenty and ten for a few seasons. They were part of a fourteen year stretch of his career saw him average double figures at better than 15 per game.
The Wizards sent him over to the Cavs to try and get a title for LeBron James. Despite good scoring numbers, Jamison witnessed the destruction of the Cavs a year later and spent two years in Los Angeles before hanging up his shoes.
His career averages were 18 points a game, 7.5 rebounds a game, and a field goal percentage of 45%. That included an adequate 35% from the three point arc. Those are pretty good numbers. He was a two time All-Star and the 6th Man of the Year Winner in 2004.
He was also a good wing in NBA Street Vol 3, for whatever that is worth.