A picture worth a thousand words! Michael Jordan wasn’t the only one inspired by the basketball greats pictured below. This image captures two of our owner’s all-time favorite players, starting with Mr. David Thompson, one of the first basketball icons he admired as a child. The owner recalls meeting Thompson at just four years old while visiting his mother at work. When he learned that four NC State legends—Monte Towe, Tom Burleson, Coach Norm Sloan, and the special David Thompson—were in the building, he was overwhelmed with excitement. Lacking paper for an autograph, his mother had Thompson and the others sign a hand towel, an experience that brought him to tears as he remembers being a huge fan of Thompson.
The other notable figure in the photo is Charlotte Smith, one of our owner’s favorite female players, a personal friend, and also David Thompson’s niece. Smith famously hit the winning shot to lead UNC’s “Hoop Phi” women to national championship glory and even showcased her family talent by dunking in a game. Our owner affectionately refers to her as “Shelby,” named after her hometown, which coincidentally is also where his high school football team triumphed over the reigning champions to secure the North Carolina High School Football State 3A Championship. A hearty salute from Packed House Sports to the legends David Thompson and Charlotte Smith!
