Former North Carolina State hoops hero Lorenzo Charles dies in crash.
(CNN) -- Lorenzo Charles, who scored the winning dunk for North Carolina State in the 1983 NCAA national championship game and went on to play in the NBA, died in a bus wreck on Interstate 40 in Raleigh, North Carolina, Monday, police said.
There were no passengers on board the bus with him, according to Raleigh police spokesman Jim Sughrue.
View attachment 12451
Lorenzo Charles starred in one of the greatest upsets in NCAA basketball history with a buzzer-beating championship dunk.
"Lorenzo left an indelible impact in sports lore that will never be forgotten, and while he will be forever remembered for his accomplishments at North Carolina State, the Atlanta Hawks family would like to extend heartfelt condolences to the Charles family after the news of his tragic death," said Dominique Wilkins, the Hawks' vice president of basketball and a former teammate. "He was a great guy who was loved by his teammates, and taken away from us far too soon."
Tire tracks at the scene showed the bus careened off the interstate, hitting branches and sustaining heavy damage to its front end, according to CNN affiliate WRAL-TV.
Charles, 47, had been a driver for Elite Coach, a limo, charter bus and car service, for the past 10 years, WRAL reported.
CNN.com
(CNN) -- Lorenzo Charles, who scored the winning dunk for North Carolina State in the 1983 NCAA national championship game and went on to play in the NBA, died in a bus wreck on Interstate 40 in Raleigh, North Carolina, Monday, police said.
There were no passengers on board the bus with him, according to Raleigh police spokesman Jim Sughrue.
View attachment 12451
Lorenzo Charles starred in one of the greatest upsets in NCAA basketball history with a buzzer-beating championship dunk.
"Lorenzo left an indelible impact in sports lore that will never be forgotten, and while he will be forever remembered for his accomplishments at North Carolina State, the Atlanta Hawks family would like to extend heartfelt condolences to the Charles family after the news of his tragic death," said Dominique Wilkins, the Hawks' vice president of basketball and a former teammate. "He was a great guy who was loved by his teammates, and taken away from us far too soon."
Tire tracks at the scene showed the bus careened off the interstate, hitting branches and sustaining heavy damage to its front end, according to CNN affiliate WRAL-TV.
Charles, 47, had been a driver for Elite Coach, a limo, charter bus and car service, for the past 10 years, WRAL reported.
CNN.com
Remembering Lorenzo Charles...
When you think of the most magical moments in the history of college basketball, the dunk by Lorenzo Charles of North Carolina State in the 1983 national championship game was as dramatic as it gets.
View attachment 12456
Wolfpack hero Lorenzo Charles' buzzer-beating putback dunk shocked Houston's Phi Slama Jama in 1983 and gave NC State its second national title.
That moment has been played over and over again for years. It sent Jimmy Valvano into euphoria as he looked for someone to hug as his Wolfpack stunned Phi Slama Jama in Albuquerque, N.M. It is a moment basketball fans will always remember. It was the perfect David vs. Goliath scenario.
Charles lost his life in a tragic bus crash in North Carolina on Monday. It was so sad to hear of his death.
What I will always remember about Lorenzo Charles was his warm, affectionate smile. I knew that, when I saw him before calling his games, I would get a playful bear hug.
That moment in 1983 was special because NC State was such a huge underdog entering the ACC tournament. The Wolfpack had to beat the likes of North Carolina with Michael "the Magnificent" Jordan and Virginia with Ralph Sampson just to make it to the Big Dance. That was amazing in its own right.
Then, in the NCAA tournament, NC State could have lost in the first round, but it survived and advanced in double overtime against Pepperdine. The magical run had begun.
My sympathy goes out to Charles' family and friends and all Wolfpack and basketball fans mourning his tragic loss. Lorenzo, rest in peace.
<cite class="source">By Dick Vitale
ESPN.com</cite>
When you think of the most magical moments in the history of college basketball, the dunk by Lorenzo Charles of North Carolina State in the 1983 national championship game was as dramatic as it gets.
View attachment 12456
Wolfpack hero Lorenzo Charles' buzzer-beating putback dunk shocked Houston's Phi Slama Jama in 1983 and gave NC State its second national title.
That moment has been played over and over again for years. It sent Jimmy Valvano into euphoria as he looked for someone to hug as his Wolfpack stunned Phi Slama Jama in Albuquerque, N.M. It is a moment basketball fans will always remember. It was the perfect David vs. Goliath scenario.
Charles lost his life in a tragic bus crash in North Carolina on Monday. It was so sad to hear of his death.
What I will always remember about Lorenzo Charles was his warm, affectionate smile. I knew that, when I saw him before calling his games, I would get a playful bear hug.
That moment in 1983 was special because NC State was such a huge underdog entering the ACC tournament. The Wolfpack had to beat the likes of North Carolina with Michael "the Magnificent" Jordan and Virginia with Ralph Sampson just to make it to the Big Dance. That was amazing in its own right.
Then, in the NCAA tournament, NC State could have lost in the first round, but it survived and advanced in double overtime against Pepperdine. The magical run had begun.
My sympathy goes out to Charles' family and friends and all Wolfpack and basketball fans mourning his tragic loss. Lorenzo, rest in peace.
<cite class="source">By Dick Vitale
ESPN.com</cite>
