News update:Antawn Jamison hit out not giving out his Jersey in his words Nobody
Former UNC star Antawn Jamison sits down for an exclusive one-on-one and talks about Saturday’s Tar Heels’ win at Duke, chances for an NCAA run plus the job Hubert Davis is doing and local high school star Isaiah Evans
Charlotte’s Antawn Jamison says no one is wearing No. 33 at North Carolina again. “I’m not giving anybody permission,” Jamison said. “Nobody can wear it. That’s a done deal. Nobody.”
Jamison, who played at UNC from 1995-98, averaged 19 points and 9.9 rebounds over his three-year career. He won the Naismith and Wooden awards as national college player of the year in 1998, when he averaged 22.2 points and 10.5 rebounds.
In March of 2000, North Carolina retired his jersey. In 2011, Bleacher Report named Jamison one of the top 25 players in ACC history. With the ACC Tournament beginning this week and the big UNC-Duke game Saturday fresh in everyone’s memory, we sat down with one of the greatest Tar Heels ever — and a former McDonald’s All-American at Providence High School — to get his thoughts on a variety of topics.
Jamison, now director of pro personnel for the Washington Wizards after a 16-year NBA career, talked about Cormac Ryan, North Carolina, and future Duke player Isaiah Evans of North Mecklenburg High, a McDonald’s All-American who sent Jamison’s son’s high school team home last week.
Jamison’s answers are lightly edited for brevity and clarity. Jamison spoke with The Observer’s Langston Wertz Jr. and Randall Clark, a co-host of the streaming “Talking Preps” show.
That’s the reason why I kissed it because I had no idea if I was coming back or not (for my senior year). So (kissing the floor was) just to make sure if I didn’t, just an appreciation of my three years at Carolina
I just knew it was special and might be the last time my parents saw me in a college basketball game. I just didn’t know. So for some reason the instincts just kind of kicked in and I kissed the floor and that was one of the things, especially the following week, the next day (people were saying), ‘Oh he’s leaving! He’s leaving! He kissed the floor!’ At the time I had no