As if the North Carolina-Duke rivalry wasn’t heated enough, now Tyler Hansbrough has weighed in on the Coach K “look at me” party.
Hansbrough, who was known to ruffle a few feathers against the Blue Devils, when he starred at UNC from 2005-2009, said he thought maybe Mike Krzyzewski’s farewell was a bit overdone.
“The only thing I can really compare it to, and I know I’ll take some heat for this, is the Larry David Show. This season they have a guy that goes to his funeral while he’s still alive so people can tell him how good he is,” Hansbrough said in an appearance on the Packer and Durham Show on ACC Network. “I kinda thought it was one of those situations. I thought it was funny.”
Tyler Hansbrough channels his inner Larry David and Curb Your Enthusiasm with this reference about how he felt watching the Coach K “look at me” party. Hilarious! pic.twitter.com/tmWQQPEoP0
— Jon Sasser (@jsasser42) March 8, 2022
Hansbrough was notably celebrating after his former team knocked off Duke, 94-81 in the final home game for Coach K, Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham. The Tar Heels have had a notably off 2022 season, as they break in new coach Hubert Davis, after their own legend – Roy Williams – retired last year.
But Hansbrough did have a bit of praise for the legendary Coach K in parting.
“Coach K deserves a lot of respect,” Hansbrough said. “Tar Heel fans… we love that.”
Duke fans can get their own digs in on Hansbrough if they’d like, though. The college basketball player of the year in 2008 has his number retired by UNC. He was selected in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. But after bouncing around for a few years, his NBA career never took off. He later went on to play in the NBA G League, and a couple of years in the Chinese Basketball Association, before the pandemic put an end to a couple of seasons.
Which North Carolina City is Tops in the Country for Best Basketball Fans?
1. Durham, NC
There’s little doubt that Duke has the best college basketball fans in the country.
Was there much doubt that the home of the Duke Blue Devils would be the top spot in the country? No, not really. Unless you’re a UNC fan, in which case you might not like how far down you’re gonna have to go here to find Chapel Hill.
2. Storrs, Connecticut
UConn has been wildly successful in women’s and men’s basketball.
The UConn women’s team have been a power for so long, it’s hard to ever imagine a time where they weren’t the class of the sport.
3. Lexington, Kentucky
Rupp Arena is legendary for college basketball.
The University of Kentucky Wildcats are about the only thing Lexington is known for.
4. Lawrence, Kansas
LAWRENCE, KANSAS – MARCH 05: Jalen Wilson #10 of the Kansas Jayhawks reacts during the overtime period of the game against the Texas Longhorns at Allen Fieldhouse on March 05, 2022 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
(So if you saw this list earlier…we may have forgotten to put the Jayhawks on here. Oops.)
5. Los Angeles, California
The bright lights of Hollywood make L.A. a great basketball town.
With both UCLA and USC in the mix, it’s hard to argue that L.A. wouldn’t be this high on the rankings. Even with some less than stellar years from them in recent times.
6. East Lansing, Michigan
The Breslin Center makes Sparty a powerful force.
Michigan State fans are loud and proud of ol’ Sparty.
7. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
St. Joseph’s and Temple are great Philadelphia rivals.
This one kind of sneaks up on you. But when you look at the combined college basketball power of Temple, Drexel, La Salle, Saint Joseph’s and Penn, there’s a lot to be said here.
8. Chapel Hill, NC
Rameses, mascot of the North Carolina Tar Heels, is passed around the student section at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Maybe this is a product of a couple down years for the Tar Heels. But that win over Duke last weekend certainly makes up for the loss in these rankings.
10. Kingston, Rhode Island
Rhode Island is a great state with some legendary basketball.
We’re stumped on this one too. Rhode Island isn’t exactly a power.
49. Boiling Springs, NC
Never underestimate the Runnin Bulldogs.
The home of Gardner-Webb, a solid hoops community all around.
89. Davidson, NC
Steph Curry certainly had a big hand in establishing Davidson.
Wonder what made those little guys from Davidson so successful…hmmm…
180. Raleigh, NC
Mr. Wuf has seen better days on the court in Raleigh.
Where you at NC State fans? Hopefully, you’re doing better than the Pack is on the court.
