Duke vs Kentucky National Championship, 1993

On the professional level, North Carolina sports have not been something that the state can be proud of. The Panthers are not good and won’t be good for awhile. The Hornets were a decent basketball team, advancing to the second round of the playoffs a few years in a row. Now, as you all must know, the Hornets are no longer located in North Carolina because of an arena and several other disagreements between the owner and the city. The Hornets went to New Orleans.

North Carolina’s only hope for sports excellence is in our college basketball teams.

I think the greatest moment in North Carolina sports history is the Duke versus Kentucky National Championship game in 1993. Duke was the best Duke has ever been. Led by their two superstars, Christian Laettner and Grant Hill. The team was overconfident and cocky going into the game. They also went into the game the worst way possible, underestimating the other team. Kentucky didn’t have the superstars that Duke had, but they played hard and they wanted to win.

The game was close in the end. Kentucky hit a shot and then Duke had the ball. There were about three seconds left in the game. Grant Hill had played baseball and had the best arm, so he was going to throw the ball in. Christian Laettner was the "go to" guy, as he had been the whole year. Grant Hill threw him a perfect pass, and Laettner dribbled once, turned, and shot the ball. It went in at the buzzer and Duke won.

That was North Carolina’s greatest sporting moment.

Matthew Alcala
Charlotte