The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), stewards of the NABC Basketball Hall of Fame, announced its 2012 class of inductees Tuesday afternoon in Kansas City---a class which includes former North Carolina star point guard Phil Ford.

Others that will be formally inducted in November's ceremony include longtime Kentucky head coach Joe B. Hall, as well as former Winston-Salem State star Earl Monroe and former Grambling State legend Willis Reed, who both went on to fame with the New York Knicks.

"All of these individuals have played a key role in the growth and the foundation of our wonderful and great game," said Reggie Minton, Executive Director of the NABC, in announcing this year's class.

"This is a tremendous honor, truly one that caught me off guard. I'd definitely like to thank the NABC for me receiving this honor. It's just something that I'll cherish the rest of my life," said Ford.

Ford was the first UNC freshman to start his first career game under iconic Tar Heel head coach Dean Smith in 1974-1975, and later that season he became the first rookie named MVP of the ACC Tournament, as he helped lead the Tar Heels past defending NCAA champion N.C. State.

"I think you have to give credit to Coach Smith for that win (in the 1975 ACC Tournament) because I don't know how many of you remember, but we used to have something in the ACC called the Big Four Tournament. It was North Carolina State, Duke, Wake Forest and us," Ford recalled.

"We came in and lost both games in that (Big Four) Tournament and we probably wouldn't have gone to the NCAA (Tournament) had we not won the ACC Tournament, but Coach Smith just did a great job with us that year and we went from last in the Big Four Tournament to first in the conference in a matter of a few months."

"It was a tremendous honor to be MVP (of that '75 ACC Tournament)," Ford added. "I've always said that in a team sport, individual honors are good but it's always more important for the team to do well. It was just a great win for us because at that time I think we had only beaten North Carolina State like one of the last seven or eight times. We had beaten them the last time we played them at home in Chapel Hill and then we beat them again in the tournament, but it was just a great team win for us and I think Coach Smith is the one to get the credit for the job that he did with us."

The Tar Heels won 99 of 124 games during Ford's collegiate career, which included another ACC regular season and tournament championship in 1977 along with a run to the NCAA championship game that spring, and an ACC regular season title in 1978.

Ford also won a Gold Medal at the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics as a member of Team USA, which was coached by Smith and also featured UNC teammates Walter Davis, Mitch Kupchak, and Tommy LaGarde.

Ford was a consensus first-team All-American each of his last three seasons at Carolina (1975-1976 through 1977-1978), and he was named consensus National Player of the Year as a senior in 1978.

Nobody has worn the No. 12 on the UNC basketball team since Ford, as his jersey was retired alongside some of the all-time greats at Carolina such as Lennie Rosenbluth and guys who would come later such as Michael Jordan, James Worthy, and Tyler Hansbrough.

But for all his accolades, Ford will forever be known by many old-time basketball fans for the legendary 'Four Corners' call that became a staple of UNC triumphs of his era.


"It (the Four Corners) was the brainchild of Coach Smith. He's the one. I've always said what makes Coach Smith the greatest coach is he could always come up with something that gave us a chance to win offensively and defensively. They ran the Four Corners before I got to North Carolina and they ran it some after I left," Ford said.

"We're known a lot for the Four Corners, but I don't think people realize---and I'd have to go back and look it up---but I bet during that decade of the '70s we averaged over 80 points a ball game, so that's not all what we did, but it was just so prevalent when we did do it that you got a lot of attention. But it was the brainchild of Coach Smith and it was something that we worked on every day."

"I've always said that holding the basketball is not as easy as it looks," Ford continued. "You have to make pressure free throws, you have to take care of the ball and it's very important to go down to the other end and play good defense and rebound, because a lot of times the other team will come down and take a quick shot in frustration. Then we come down and run a little more time off the clock and before you know it, it kind of had a snowball effect and we were up nine or 10 points and that was usually the game."

"But it was a part of our offense that I enjoyed and I'm just happy that I got a chance to play for Coach Smith. It's something that he thought of and something that helped us win basketball games."

After a brief NBA career Ford went into coaching, including a long stint as a North Carolina assistant coach under Smith and Bill Guthridge.

He's also spent several years in the NBA as an assistant coach with the New York Knicks and most recently the Charlotte Bobcats.

Ford spends frequent time in Chapel Hill, and was recently in town to help Coach Smith celebrate a recent birthday.


"Oh my gosh. I can't say enough about what Coach Smith has meant to me, not only in basketball, but away from the court. And it's not only me; it's with all of his players, you know. He's like a second father to all of us," Ford said.

"I was over at his office last week to help him celebrate his 81st birthday. Coach (Roy) Williams and Coach (Joe) Holladay and his secretary were in his office and we had some ice cream and cake."

"I can't imagine what my life would have been without him (Smith)," Ford continued.

"When I was coaching at North Carolina and recruiting, I used to tell young men that the school that you choose is probably one of the biggest decisions that you're going to have to make in your life and you can't please everybody. You have to go with your heart and choose the school that you think is best for you."

"If I had to do it all over again, I would definitely choose the University of North Carolina again because I was very fortunate---I guess you could say I was blessed---to have Coach Smith in my life," Ford said.

Coach Smith was part of the NABC Hall of Fame's inaugural class back in 2006---joining fellow hoops legends such as Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, John Wooden, and Dr. James Naismith---and now he'll be joined in immortality by one of his greatest players.