Posted on 06/27/2011 6:08:15 PM PDT by ConservativeStatement
He was why "they won it! ... On the dunk!"
Former North Carolina State star Lorenzo Charles was on the receiving end of Dereck Whittenburg's desperation heave at the end of the 1983 national title game. His deft dunk put the Wolfpack over the top of favored Houston, giving Jim Valvano and N.C. State the unexpected national championship.
Monday afternoon, Charles, 47, was killed in a bus accident in Raleigh, N.C. Charles was the driver of the bus, according to the Associated Press. There were no other injuries, as it was a one-vehicle accident.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbssports.com ...
RIP.
How sad.
Surely a cursed team.
Very sad. RIP Mr. Charles
I wonder if that was the wreck on the ramp in Cary off I-40. They were warning people to avoid the area this afternoon.
A bus had gone over the side and rolled. News crew said the driver was the only one on the bus.
Ping
Aw man, I always got the impression that Lorenzo was a good guy.
RIP Mr. Charles. I will never forget his last second dunk which IMO was the best NCAA championship game ever played.
I was 12 years old when NC State won the championship. As I recall, many of the tournament games were played on the West Coast. So, living here in North Carolina, I had to stay up later than normal to watch them with my parents.
Nearly all of the games were right down to the wire, earning the team the nickname the "Cardiac Pack". No one thought they could beat Houston's "Phi Slamma Jamma" and it seemed like a miracle when they pulled it off.
As Free Vulcan said, I think this was the greatest championship game in NCAA history.
R.I.P. Lorenzo.
Surely Jimmy V is giving you a hug up in Heaven right now.
So very sad. I was in school at the same time and our paths crossed quite a bit so I spoke with Lorenzo often as we walked across campus to classes. Such an intimidating figure yet he was truly humble, soft spoken and big-hearted. The kind of guy who would go out of his way to help someone. We will miss you Big LoC43. Jimmy V will be there to greet you though.
RIP
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