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Bill Chamberlain, the second Black player in North Carolina men’s basketball history, dies at age 75

July 17, 2025 by CBS 17

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WNCN) – Former North Carolina men’s basketball standout Bill Chamberlain, who became only the second Black player to ever suit up for the Tar Heels, has died at the age of 75, the program confirmed Monday.

Chamberlain played from 1969-1972 under legendary UNC coach Dean Smith, averaging 12.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting 54% from the field in 77 career games.

The Tar Heels compiled a 70-20 overall record during his three seasons, even winning the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and advancing to the Final Four in 1972. The best collegiate season for the 6-foot-6 forward arrived in the 1970-71 campaign, as he posted 14.4 points and seven rebounds per game, leading UNC to the ACC regular-season title.

  • North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis, left, is congratulated by former North Carolina player Bill Chamberlain following a news conference at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., Tuesday, April 6, 2021. Davis was named the Tar Heels’ new NCAA men’s basketball coach following the retirement of Roy Williams. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
  • The National Invitation Tournament Championship trophy attracts the attention of Georgia Tech and North Carolina coaches and players at a news conference at Madison Square Garden in New York, March 26, 1971. Seated are coaches Dean Smith, left of North Carolina, and Whack Hyder of Tech. Behind them, from left to right are Lee Dedmon and Bill Chamberlain of Carolina, and Dick Yunkus and Jim Thorne of Tech. (AP Photo/John Rooney)

Chamberlain also earned MVP honors for his play at the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) in 1971, before receiving second-team All-America accolades during his senior year.

Once his time in college came to an end, he played two seasons of professional basketball, including one with the Memphis Tams and Kentucky Colonels in the now-defunct ABA and another with the Phoenix Suns in the NBA. His pro career was abruptly cut short due to a back injury.

Chamberlain elected to take his talents to Chapel Hill after originally coming from Long Island. Smith had previously recruited fellow New York native Charlie Scott to UNC as the first Black scholarship player in program history.

  • Chris Coffin (24) of Massachusetts and North Carolina’s Bill Chamberlain (31) go for rebound in first half of their game during opening round of the National Invitational Tournament in New York’s Madison Square Garden on March 20, 1971. (AP Photo/JSJ)
  • Bill Chamberlain (31) of North Carolina is out in front of the pack as he goes after a loose ball in the first period against Duke during the National Invitational Tournament semifinal game at Madison Square Garden in New York, March 25, 1971. Other players are Duke’s Richie O’Connor (12); Rick Hatherman (22); and Dick De Venzio (21). (AP Photo)
  • FILE – In this March 14, 1970, file photo, Manhattan’s Bob Gregory (20) controls the ball for a rebound against North Carolina’s Bill Chamberlain (31) during the first half of their NIT college basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York. Gregory, a three-year basketball starter for Manhattan College who went on to teach and coach in the New York City public school system for almost 30 years, died Tuesday, April 16, 2013. He was 63. (AP Photo/File)

“Charlie (Scott) definitely paved the road, made it a bit more comfortable for me coming in,” Chamberlain said in an interview with Inside Carolina in 2005. “My time at Lutheran (High) was essential for me because it made me understand that color of skin wasn’t a determining factor — at least it shouldn’t be. I learned that Coach Smith’s father had integrated high school basketball in Kansas years earlier, so it was only natural for him to do the same. At the time, the world viewed Black athletes as jocks. I was able to hold my own, especially in the classroom, in group discussions – my success in the classroom went a long way to help me feel comfortable everywhere else.”

In a social media post announcing Chamberlain’s death, the school described him with the following caption: “A Tar Heel forever.”

The cause of his death is unknown at this time.

Filed Under: University of North Carolina

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