All-Time Favorite Teams: #23

University of North Carolina Basketball
1993-Present

This selection will surprise some and maybe even shock a few. I'll start by saying I am a BIG Kentucky basketball fan. This doesn't make sense already does it? Well, I've lived in North Caroina now for 15 years. Needless to say, I have A LOT of friends who LOVE Carolina Basketball. (Shout-out J.D. !) I HATE Duke. Living in North Carolina you are drawn to one side or the other in the Carolina/Duke rivalry and I choose the Heels. Easy decision really. Starting to make sense now? Besides, Kentucky still holds the record for all-time NCAA basketball wins and NCAA basketball tournament wins . . . for now anyway. Carolina holds the all-time edge head-to-head 20-10.

I do like tradition, especially when it comes to collegiate sports. Carolina basketball is blessed with rich tradition. I respect that. They are certainly in the top 10 most prestigious college basketball programs of all-time which also should include UCLA, Kansas, Indiana, Duke and of course Kentucky. I get more coverage on the Heels than I probably care to hear but as long as they beat Duke, I'm O.K. with that too.

I first found myself pulling for the Heels during their NCAA championship season of 1993. I of course wanted a finals match-up of Kentucky and Carolina but when Kentucky lost to Michigan 81-78 in the Final Four I switched allegiance to Tar Heel Blue out of respect for my best friend John. Carolina went on to victory with the help of Chris Webber's gaffe by the score of 77-71. (Chris Webber recruiting violations by Michigan resulted in the university vacating all wins in this tournament and the return of the NCAA runner-up trophy. Kentucky should have played Carolina in the final after all!) I also met Eric Montross at a restaurant that year for a little bit of a personal connection.

The list of Carolina basketball luminaries is quite lengthy including Larry Brown, Vince Carter, Rick Fox, Billy Cunningham, Brad Daugherty, Phil Ford, Jerry Stackhouse, George Karl, Bob McAdoo, Julius Peppers, Roy Williams, Rasheed Wallace (my least favorite Tar Heel), Michael Jordan, James Worthy, J.R. Reid (my favorite Tar Heel), Antawn Jamison and 4-time National Coach of the Year, the legendary and distinguished Dean Smith.

Carolina basketball players have won the National Player of the Year a total of 9 times including twice by Jordan and the most recent by Tyler Hansbrough.

The Tar Heels have won 4 National Championships including 1957 (32-0), 1982 (32-2), 1993 (34-4) and 2005 (33-4) and should be the early favorites heading into the 2008-09 season.

North Carolina vs. Kentucky history here.

Some would say it's impossible to pull for Carolina when you are a Kentucky fan so I'm sure this is quite an oddity. I would say that I tolerate them more than I like them but out of all the A.C.C. schools this is really the only one I follow from a basketball standpoint and I don't mind seeing some of my best friends teams fare well, just not at my expense. It does make for a fun rivalry though. Billy Gillispie will have UK headed in the right direction in no time.

Favorite Team Profile
Years: 16
Record: 414-139
Conference Champions: 6
Conference Tournament Champions: 5
NCAA Tournaments: 14
Final Four: 7
NCAA Champions: 2
Fan Rating: 5/10
Notes: Kentucky visits the Dean Dome on 11/18/2008 having lost 4 straight to the Heels. Carolina is sure to be the pre-season #1 pick with what could arguably be one of their best teams (at least on paper) ever. 2008 recruiting classes: Carolina #7, Kentucky #19.

All-Time Favorite Teams: #25

Seattle Supersonics
NBA
1979-1992

Anyone that knows me also knows that I am not a huge NBA fan. As a kid I never really liked basketball all that much anyway, that is until 1979. The game that changed it all for me was of course the NCAA tournament final between Michigan State and Indiana State. Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird. I pulled for Indiana State and of course they lost, 75-64 with Magic honored as tourney MVP. The game was so hyped that it remains the top rated game in the history of televised college basketball.

My favorite basketball player, Bird, had yet to don the Boston Green and White (although he was drafted by the C's as a junior). Enter the Seattle Supersonics, my 1st favorite NBA team.

The Sonics were an easy choice for me. Cool name, great colors and loved the logo. They also had a lot going for them. They lost the NBA title the year before to the Washingotn Bullets and were poised for another run. Jack Sikma was my favorite player and along with Dennis Johnson and Gus Williams the Supersonics redeemed themselves against the Bullets to capture the 1979 NBA title.

Other great Supersonics over the years included Fred Brown, Tom Chambers, The "X" Man - Xavier McDaniel, Dale Ellis, Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton.

After the "Dream Team" juggernaut of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics as well as the subsequent retirement of Bird, my interest in the NBA began to wane leading to the end of my Supersonics era.

Favorite Team Profile
Years: 14
Record: 605-543 / .527
Playoffs: 10
Division Champions: 1
Conference Finals: 3
NBA Champions: 1
Fan Rating: 5/10
Notes: I always preferred Supersonics as opposed to just "Sonics" and liked the late 70's early 90's logo to the mid 90's version. The 2000's look was a welcome change.

Oklahoma City? Really? Being a fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins and all that our fans have gone through with possible relocation threats, I know what the fans of Seattle are going through . . . . . almost. The Penguins obviously never got relocated but were certainly on the precipice. My heart goes out to you Seattle and all of the loyal Supersonics fans. My Dad always reminded me over the years of how sports is business but it's certainly true these days now more than ever. One can only hope that the true NBA fans of Seattle are rewarded with their "new" Sonics sooner rather than later although I wish it had never had to come to this.