Toast of the town

Easley, lawmakers fete national champion Tar Heels

Sports Illustrated

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — One by one, Gov. Mike Easley shook hands Tuesday with the 17 players on the national champion North Carolina men’s basketball team, pausing to pass along some words of encouragement or congratulation before they moved past him to pick up a flute of orange soda and climb the central staircase at the Executive Mansion.
Easley, the basketball players and coach Roy Williams then raised their glasses of orange Crush — the spoils of a good-natured bet with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich — in a mock toast to the chief executive who had seemed certain before last Monday night that his Fighting Illini would be national champions.

“Governor Blagojevich was very cocky about the game,” said Easley, a 1972 graduate of UNC. “I asked him what was an orange Crush and he said, ‘You’re going to find out tonight.”‘

Easley planned to send a picture of the toast to Blagojevich.

“We know where his heart is,” Williams said of the governor. “We got a little thumbs up from him before the Duke game. I hope [Duke coach] Mike [Krzyzewski] was looking.”

The players, normally self-assured and aggressive on the court, were quiet and respectful during their short meeting with Easley. Easley spent several minutes after the formal meeting speaking to North Carolina point guard Raymond Felton as reporters questioned Sean May, the most valuable player in this year’s NCAA tournament, about whether he planned to remain in school or turn pro. May had 26 points and 10 rebounds in the 75-70 title game win over Illinois, bringing the Tar Heels their fourth NCAA championship.

“For me, it’s just an honor to be here,” May said at the governor’s mansion while saying he was still weighing the decision about entering the NBA draft.

The players left the governor to attend a rare joint legislative session in their honor. Lawmakers crowded the floor of the Senate chamber, some along with members of their family. More than 200 people sat and stood in the cramped gallery above the chamber.

They stood and applauded as the team took the floor.

“This is a special day for North Carolina as we celebrate the accomplishments of these young men … who do so much to bring so many people in North Carolina such great pleasure,” said Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, D-Cumberland.

“We’re thrilled to be here,” Williams said. “We were thrilled last Monday night and we’re going to be thrilled the rest of our lives with what these young men accomplished.”

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