Keeping It Heel
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North Carolina Basketball: 10 players the rivals loved to hate the most

By Joey Loose

Jan 21, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Former North Carolina Tar Heels great Tyler Hansbrough presents forward Armando Bacot (5) with the game ball after the game. Bacot became the all-time Tar Heels rebounding leader during the game breaking Hansbrough’s record. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Former North Carolina Tar Heels great Tyler Hansbrough presents forward Armando Bacot (5) with the game ball after the game. Bacot became the all-time Tar Heels rebounding leader during the game breaking Hansbrough’s record. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 29, 2022; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Former North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams with former UNC great Michael Jordan on the court as they were honored as part of the 1982 national championship team in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 29, 2022; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Former North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams with former UNC great Michael Jordan on the court as they were honored as part of the 1982 national championship team in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is easily recognizable as one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the sport. Everyone remembers his championships with the Chicago Bulls and all of the other things he’s done in his career, but his time in the early 80s at North Carolina was just as memorable, both for him and opposing fanbases.

Jordan’s cocky and electric flair certainly made him a villain to rival Duke. He hit the game-winning shot over Georgetown that helped lead the Tar Heels to the NCAA championship during his freshman season.

He was the 1984 AP Player of the Year and had a number of great performances against the Blue Devils and North Carolina’s other rivals. One such highlight was a 32-point effort in a win against those Blue Devils, a fanbase no doubt bittered by him choosing North Carolina over Duke a few years earlier.

We’re talking about the Duke-North Carolina rivalry, but it’s more than just that with Jordan. He was better than you and he knew it, and you could easily feel disrespected by Jordan’s demeanor on and off the court.

His three seasons at North Carolina were full of both legendary moments and a lot of winning basketball. He’d star in the NBA with those Chicago Bulls and cement himself among the all-time greats, no doubt making even more enemies in the years to come.

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