Before Michael Jordan began his NBA career with the Bulls, he attended UNC and played for the Tar Heels from 1981 to 1984. Decades later, he has still maintained a strong connection to his alma mater, as he says, he needs an excuse to come back home to North Carolina.
Bill Belichick, the NFL legend who won eight rings in the league, had his debut as the head coach of UNC’s football team tonight against TCU. Michael Jordan made sure he was in attendance and indeed caught a lot of attention when he was.
Unfortunately for Jordan and other UNC fans, Bill Belichick’s debut was ruined as the TCU Horned Frogs defeated the UNC Tar Heels 48-14 in the game.
A social media video went viral of the moment Jordan was seen dapping up another Tar Heels legend in the crowd, Lawrence Taylor. Taylor was a linebacker for the New York Giants in the NFL for 13 seasons, winning two Super Bowls, one MVP, and three Defensive Player of the Year awards in his era. Safe to say, stars came out to watch Bill Belichick’s debut.
Michael Jordan and Lawrence Taylor are in the house for Bill Belichick's coaching debut at UNC 👏
Watch TCU vs. North Carolina on ESPN and the ESPN App: https://t.co/CFYySAqkwB 🏈 pic.twitter.com/UfJWpHJpUF
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 1, 2025
NBA fans saw this video on social media and gave the legends their flowers. Some also poked fun at Jordan and his gambling habits.
“To watch Chapel-Bill get cooked?” wrote a fan with a clever nickname for Belichick.
“How much are they betting on this game?”
“Wow, what a legendary group there.”
“Bro’s aura is unmatched.”
“Legends watching a legend in the making.”
“Legends pulling up for the GOAT’s debut.”
“1,000,000 on unc from Jordan tonight.”
Over four decades ago, Jordan was in the spotlight in 1982 when he hit the game-winning shot in the NCAA championship game against Georgetown University that first put his name on the national map. Now, years later, the UNC crowd welcomed Jordan back with the same warmth and vigor at the Kenan Memorial Stadium in North Carolina.
“If I missed it, I don’t know where I would’ve been. That’s the day my name went from Mike Jordan to Michael Jordan… If it had remained at Mike Jordan, I don’t know where I would’ve been,” said Jordan while talking about the shot.
In the three years Jordan spent at UNC, he averaged 17.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game in over 100 games played. Jordan even claimed that he loved his time with UNC more than he liked his NBA career.
“College is the best four years of your life, you learn how to be independent. I came from a small city into an unforgiving, unknown situation in college, scared to death.”
Jordan went as far as to even say that his college life taught him how to prosper in his NBA career.
“It taught me how to be independent, it taught me how to be on my own. So when I left the university and went to Chicago on my own, I was able to prosper.”
Undoubtedly, Jordan wears the UNC colors with pride to this date. The 62-year-old legend almost rarely makes a public appearance, but when it comes to his alma mater, he is almost always ready to show up and support them, especially on a night when they welcome a legend like Belichick.
