Praise, proclamations highlights of UNC basketball team’s visit with lawmakers

The North Carolina men’s basketball team was celebrated and recognized by Gov. Roy Cooper and members of the N.C. General Assembly in separate meetings Wednesday.

The Tar Heels, which won its sixth NCAA title last month, first met with the governor at the governor’s mansion. There, Cooper signed a proclamation recognizing UNC’s most recent championship, a 71-65 win over Gonzaga in the NCAA title game, and coach Roy Williams presented the governor with a signed Tar Heel basketball. The team then took a chartered bus to the General Assembly building, about two blocks away, where the Senate and House of Representatives gathered together to sign their own proclamation.

The two recognitions were filled with notable moments. Here are the highlights:

Williams encourages lawmakers to follow their lead

There was much praise from lawmakers in both the Senate and House, and the Governor to the men’s basketball team, for their teamwork and resiliency on the court.

When it was UNC coach Roy Williams’ turn to speak, he did not shy away from requesting that the politicians work better together.

“This group of guys behind me, I wish they were politicians over here because one thing they did better than anybody I’ve ever seen is they made sacrifices for the common goal, to focus on what our mission was,” Williams said at the governor’s recognition. “And our mission was to try to win the national championship and represent the University of North Carolina in the best way we could.”

And to the Senate and House:

“This is a team, and that’s what I want you folks to continue to be, not just to be, but to continue to be for our great state,” Williams said. “We need your help in a lot of ways. We need you to reach across the aisles to work together as a team.”

Williams has been outspoken about House Bill 2, a state law that required people in government facilities to use bathrooms that match the gender on their birth certificates. It was repealed in March.

Theo Pinson a future politician?

Williams said he wouldn’t be surprised if guard Theo Pinson becomes a politician some day.

“Because he has a game, and he can talk better than anyone,” Williams told the crowd at the General Assembly. “So just get ready because Theo Pinson, one of these days is going to be sitting right out there.”

The crowd applauded and laughed.

Pinson, who announced Wednesday that he is withdrawing from the NBA draft process and returning for his senior season, stood and clapped and jokingly bowed to the crowd.

“I’ll be Ed McMahon and he’ll be Johnny Carson,” Williams said.

Governor makes push to convince Bradley to stay

Cooper, a UNC graduate, tried to do some lobbying of his own. He first recognized Pinson and guard Joel Berry for returning to the Tar Heels next season. The governor then turned to forward Tony Bradley, who has declared for the NBA draft but could return to UNC for his sophomore season.

“I think this time next year, we’ll be talking about Tony Bradley being the No. 2 pick in the NBA because maybe he’ll come back,” Cooper said. “He will definitely be a lottery pick and it will be two or three.”

The players clapped and UNC guard Brandon Robinson yelled out, “one more year.”

’Twas the night before Houston?

During the recognition at the General Assembly, Representative Greg Murphy puzzled the crowd by reading his own rendition of “Twas the night before Christmas.” And it started like this:

“ ‘Twas the night after Houston, in all our despair,

A national championship, vanished in thin air,’ ” he read to the bewilderment of the crowd.

He continued to read the poem about UNC’s devastating 2016 national championship loss at the buzzer to Villanova in Houston, and the Tar Heels’ journey to pick up the pieces and win the national title a year later.

The line that got the most laughs was:

“Now Berry, Now Jackson, Now Maye, Now Meeks,

On Pinson, On Bradley, on Britt, on ‘Heeks’ (Hicks),

“Pick up the pace or you’ll run to your dead”

“The Ceilings the Roof!!,” the Dag gum man said.”

This story was originally published May 3, 2017 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Praise, proclamations highlights of UNC basketball team’s visit with lawmakers."