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12 WWW.GUILFORDIAN.COM Guilford Alum selected for Hall of Fame V By Thomas Deane Staff Writer Michael Jordan, Dean Smith and Coach K. are all North Carolina basketball legends and members of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. Guilford College basketball legend Michael Leon Carr, affectionately known to fans as M.L. Carr, now joins this illustrious group. Carr, who graduated in 1973, won a national championship while attending Guilford in '73 and then two World Championships with the Boston Celtics, and was also Head Coach of the Celtics from 1995 to '97. Although it's a huge honor for Carr, he is not one for personal accolades. "It's a great honor, but there's not a whole lot of appreciation for the individual honors," Carr said. For Carr, this is as much of an achievement for his whole team as it is for himself. "I like to think of it in terms of the players and coaches that were a part of it," said Carr. "They were as much a part of it as I was." Currently Carr ranks sixth on Guilford's all-time scoring list, even though he only played thirteen games his junior year due to a knee injury. Despite the setback, the Wallace, N.C., native scored 1,993 points during his Guilford College career. What would motivate a potential "all-world" player to attend a small liberal college instead of one of the powerhouse basketball programs that "Tobacco Road" is best known for? After attending Wallace-Rose Hill High School, Carr knew there was only one college for him. "Coach Jerry Steele and Coach (Jack) Jensen were the only ones who came into my house and said 'we can't pay for your books, we can't for your laundry, but we can offer you a four-year scholarship,"' said Carr. "'And at the end of four years, if you apply yourself, we promise that you will have a degree from a great liberal arts school.'" Carr did not want to be one of those players looking for a school that would be a springboard to the NBA. "It wasn't all about being a basketball player," said Carr. Upon graduating from Guilford, Carr knew that he had what it took to be a member of the prestigious "next level" — the NBA. "I knew that I could play at the next level," said Carr. "I knew there was someone out there on another team that I was going to outwork. There was a place in the NBA for me." Carr knew that he may not be the star of an NBA team, and that was alright with him. While at Guilford, he had teammates who did not play as many minutes as he did, but he understood their importance on the team. Those players taught Carr an invaluable lesson. "I learned how to not be a starter and still be a part of the team," said Carr. "Cheering them on, supporting them." His mental attitude and hours of hard work vaulted Carr to become the seventh pick during the fifth round of the seventy-sixth pick overall of the Kansas City Omaha Kings, NBA — now the Sacramento Kings — and the Kentucky Colonels, ABA, in the 1973 NBA Draft. After playing overseas to hone his game, Carr was redrafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1976, after the ABA folded. Carr applied that work ethic to his professional game and eventually made his NBA debut on Oct. 22,1976, and as they say, the rest is history. Carr knew what it took to be a valuable teammate as well and that work ethic shined. Executive Director of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame Don Fish remembers Carr as not only a tremendous athlete, but also an upstanding person. "Carr was an exceptional person who has achieved a lot, on and off the sports field," Fish said. "What a great player he was, and how he represented himself as a coach was just great." Carr has always been a fan of humility. Even after winning two World Championships in the NBA (1981 and 1984) with one of sports more storied franchises, the Boston Celtics, Carr still recalls his 1973 championship with the Guilford team as one of his favorites. "When I look back, there was never a greater team that I played on than the 1973 championship team," said Carr. "No one expected us to win. No one believed that we would, except for the guys on the team." Leaving Guilford as a national champion and earning a degree have always been sources of pride and joy for Carr. "That degree, coupled with a NAIA championship — there was no better way to go out of a college career," said Carr. Indeed there was not. Don Fish knows what a tremendous career Carr has had and he believes this is the perfect time for his induction into the Hall. "Its just M.L. Carr's time," said Fish. Carr will join Quaker alumni Tom Zachary '18, Rick Ferrell '28, Bob Jamieson '33, and Dave Odom '65, as well as coaches Jack Jensen and Jerry Steele and legendary athletic directors Herb Appenzeller and Marion Kirby in the N.C. Hall of Fame. His induction is scheduled for May 10 in Raleigh, N.C. To attend the festivities please call the NCHOF at (919) 845- 3455. >Ui Carr is ranked number six on Guilford's All-Time scoring list (1,993 total and 18.0 ppg). He is also number two in rebounding (1,265 total and 11.4 pg). SPORTS Kayla Adams 8 points - 2 rebounds - 5 assits - I steal ~ I block Rebecca Bacon #3 200M Intermediate (3:05.11) *-#3 lOOM fly (1:2577) Will Freeman 13 points - 9 rebounds - I steal Gabriel Lowder 23 points -- 10 rebounds. - I assist - I steal Kendra Medina #2 IOOM Backstroke (1:14.58)-#3 200M Freestyle (2:30.36) Brad Monroe 6 points - 7 rebounds I steal — I block laclyn NuccI 14 points - 6 rebounds - 2 assists - 2 steals Gabby Oglesby 22 points - 6 rebounds I steal - 2 blocks Josh Pittman 12 points - 7 rebounds - 6 assists - 3 steals Carson Sullivan 19 points - 4 rebounds 3 assists - I steal Players are listed in alphabetical order by last name. Individuals' statistics are from the past week's games. Photos courtesy of Guilfordquakers.com ’
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