UNC men’s basketball legend Phil Ford was inducted into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Wednesday, honoring his contributions to the state of North Carolina. Ford was one of nine North Carolinians to receive the honor from Governor Josh Stein.
“I am proud to honor this group of outstanding North Carolinians who have made important contributions to our state and its people,” Stein said. “They exemplify the best of North Carolina.”
Phil Ford (third from right) was inducted into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Governor Josh Stein Wednesday. (Image via Office of Governor Josh Stein)
Ford, a Rocky Mount native, played for head coach Dean Smith and the Tar Heels from 1974 through 1978. He averaged 18.6 points and 6.1 assists per game for his career, earned first team All-America honors three times, was named ACC Male Athlete of the Year twice, won National Player of the Year honors in 1978 and helped UNC win the 1975 and 1977 ACC Tournaments. Ford also led the Tar Heels on a run to the 1977 national championship game.
Over the course of his career, Ford became known for his proficiency at running Smith’s patented “Four Corners” offense. With Ford serving as a focal point, the offense was nearly unstoppable in its ability to run time off the clock while the Tar Heels had the lead. The offense’s success led to the adoption of the shot clock in college basketball.
Ford finished his career as UNC’s all-time leading scorer with 2,290 points, a record which would stand for more than 30 years before it was broken by Tyler Hansbrough. UNC went 99-24 during Ford’s time as a Tar Heel. His No. 12 jersey is one of eight retired by the men’s basketball program.
Ford also won an Olympic gold medal as a member of Team USA at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. He was one of several Tar Heels on the team, as Smith served as head coach while Walter Davis, Mitch Kupchak and Tom LaGarde also made the roster.
Ford was selected No. 2 overall by the Kansas City Kings in the 1978 NBA Draft. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year award and was named to the All-NBA Second Team in his first professional season. He retired in 1985.
Ford would then spend 12 successful years as an assistant coach at UNC, first under Smith and then under head coach Bill Guthridge. Ford’s tenure saw UNC reach the Final Four six times and win the 1993 national championship. After the end of his coaching career, Ford was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.
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