Sports Legends of the Carolinas

Over nearly 30 years at The Charlotte Observer, columnist Scott Fowler has built an unparalleled rolodex of hardwood heroes, gridiron greats, hall-of-fame coaches, and sports media luminaries throughout the region. Now, thanks to access fans won’t get anywhere else, Fowler sits down with icons from the area — including Muggsy Bogues, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jay Bilas, and more — to hear the unfiltered, untold stories of their journeys to becoming Sports Legends of the Carolinas.

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Sports
1
Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Mourning would have become the greatest player in Charlotte Hornets history — if he had only stuck around.
38 min
2
Leonard Hamilton
Leonard Hamilton, the longest-serving active head basketball coach in the ACC, grew up in a segregated society in North Carolina.
67 min
3
Bobby Cremins
After 31 years as a college basketball head coach, Bobby Cremins now lives in Hilton Head, S.C.
57 min
4
Richard Petty
Richard Petty serves as the Season 3 kickoff for the “Sports Legends of the Carolinas.”
45 min
5
Steve Spurrier
Known as an offensive mastermind, Steve Spurrier has deep connections to both Carolinas
45 min
6
REBROADCAST: Armanti Edwards
Armanti Edwards, the former once-in-a-generation quarterback at Appalachian State, talks about the Mountaineers' colossal win over Michigan, “the darkest time in my football career" in the NFL, and his redemption in the CFL.
54 min
7
REBROADCAST: Steph Curry
Steph Curry, the all-everything point guard for the Golden State Warriors, is already a “Sports Legend of the Carolinas.” In this deeply personal retrospective, Curry offers never-before-heard details about his high school career; leading Davidson College to the Elite Eight in 2008; the challenges for Curry of following in the NBA footsteps of his famous father, Dell; and the one thing that could get Curry to leave Golden State.
39 min
8
Dell Curry
While Dell Curry is now known in public mostly for being the father of two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steph Curry, he had his own stellar NBA career.
40 min
9
REBROADCAST: Greg Olsen
Greg Olsen, the former Pro Bowl tight end for the Carolina Panthers, and now celebrated color commentator on FOX, discusses Tom Brady; the upcoming Super Bowl; his son T.J.'s continued improvement after his heart transplant in 2021; and why Carolina’s loss to Denver in Super Bowl 50 still haunts him.
37 min
10
Tommy Burleson
Tommy Burleson was the literal centerpiece of one of the best college basketball teams in the history of the Carolinas — the 1974 N.C. State Wolfpack.
46 min
11
REBROADCAST: Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon discusses his early days as a breakdancer (yes, seriously) and his rivalry with Dale Earnhardt Sr.
42 min
12
Torry Holt
Torry Holt once scored five touchdowns in a single game for the Wolfpack against Florida State.
47 min
13
REBROADCAST: Mike Krzyzewski
Alex Zietlow interviews Coach Mike Krzyzewski, or Coach K.
61 min
14
Thomas Davis
Davis was the Panthers’ first-round draft choice in 2005 and played the next 14 years for the Panthers as a heat-seeking linebacker who was also a community servant off the field.
71 min
15
George Rogers
Now 64 years old, George Rogers and his wife, Brenda, live about 20 minutes from Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. A 13-foot statue of Rogers stands near the stadium.
35 min
16
Erin Matson
At age 22, only one month after graduation, Erin Matson was named the head coach of the very UNC team she had been starring for, replacing Karen Shelton.
36 min
17
Bobby Richardson
Bobby Richardson, this week’s star of “Sports Legends of the Carolinas,” was a notable New York Yankee who never really left his South Carolina hometown.
41 min
18
Bill Polian
Bill Polian made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015, honored as one of the NFL’s most extraordinary general managers.
52 min
19
Chris Paul
Chris Paul has done nearly everything there is to do on a basketball court--and now, he's written a book about his career.
27 min
20
Armanti Edwards
Armanti Edwards, the former once-in-a-generation quarterback at Appalachian State, talks about the Mountaineers' colossal win over Michigan, “the darkest time in my football career" in the NFL, and his redemption in the CFL.
54 min
21
Mike Krzyzewski
Alex Zietlow interviews Coach Mike Krzyzewski, or Coach K.
61 min
22
Debbie Antonelli
52 min
23
Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon discusses his early days as a breakdancer (yes, seriously) and his rivalry with Dale Earnhardt Sr.
42 min
24
George Shinn
George Shinn, who conceived the Charlotte Hornets and brought the NBA to Charlotte, remains a busy man at age 81, although he now is out of the ownership business.
47 min
25
Tyler Hansbrough
Tyler Hansbrough talks about his favorite win at UNC and his new sports passion, which gets him more nervous than basketball ever did.
42 min