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.
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.
“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.