UNC basketball legend talks about new head coach, NC Sports Hall of Fame honor

Tyler Hansbrough never set out chasing Hall of Fame honors.

They keep finding him anyway.

The former UNC star and one of the most decorated players in ACC history will be inducted Friday night into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, adding another honor to a career defined by accolades, but more so by relentless work.

“These Hall of Fames, first of all, I’m getting a little older, so they’re starting to come a little bit more,” Hansbrough said Thursday, later adding, “it represents a lot of people from my hometown who have helped me throughout my journey, and also it represents a lot of good coaches and teammates that I had at Carolina. So hopefully when they see my name, they can feel like they’re a big part of that.”

Hansbrough headlines a 10-member Class of 2026 that will be enshrined during the Hall’s 62nd annual induction ceremony in Greensboro. The group also includes former Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton and tennis standout John Isner.

For Hansbrough, the honor deepens his ties to the state that defined his career. The Missouri native led North Carolina to the 2009 national title and is still one of the program’s most recognizable stars. He still holds the ACC scoring record (2,872 points) and the NCAA mark for career free throws (982) — which he credits to making 100 free throws every day from fifth grade to his high school graduation. In 2008, Hansbrough swept national player of the year honors while becoming the only four-time first-team All-ACC and All-America selection in league history.

When asked how he hopes to be remembered, Hansbrough pointed to his effort.

“I’d like for them to think that I earned everything,” Hansbrough said. “I was an unbelievably hard worker. It’s something that came from my hometown of Poplar Bluff. We used to have a lot of practices early in the morning… we all worked really hard and earned everything. And I think that’s something that hopefully people can take away from my name being in the Hall of Fame.”

Hansbrough, who played seven NBA seasons, mostly with the Indiana Pacers, has remained active in the Triangle community since his playing career ended. On Thursday, he spent the afternoon at a youth golf clinic at Raleigh’s TriGolf (home of the Triangle’s First Tee organization), offering instruction and encouragement to dozens of children.

Between helping kids with their putting stroke and sharing lessons from his career, he reflected on the same principles that carried him through college basketball.

“(Golf) requires a lot of discipline,” Hansbrough told the kids during a Q&A session. “It’s discipline in the form of controlling your emotions and being able to still play.”

Hansbrough has also stayed connected to the UNC program as a radio analyst and visible voice within the Carolina Family. He’s been a vocal advocate for keeping the Dean E. Smith Center on campus. Hansbrough has also been vocal in his optimism about new coach Michael Malone.

“I’m really excited,” Hansbrough said. “I’ve said this from the beginning — kind of surprised we got him. I think he was a little shocking to a lot of people on the outside, but once you look a little deeper, I just don’t think we could have a better candidate. I really like what he does and what he brings.”

When it comes to bragging about himself, Hansbrough still deflects. He’s more comfortable working than reflecting.

But his résumé — and now another Hall of Fame nod — doesn’t leave much room to debate.

There’s still room to talk smack, though.

During Thursday’s clinic, one of the young participants posed a question to his new, much taller, instructor: would he rather get a hole-in-one or beat Duke again?

“I’ve beaten Duke enough,” Hansbrough said with a sly smile, “so I’ll take the hole-in-one.”