Antawn Jamison On Hooping at UNC with Vince Carter, Playing For Dean Smith & The Draft Night Trade That Changed Everything

Two-time NBA All-Star Antawn Jamison joins Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady on Cousins to look back on his journey, from growing up in North Carolina and starring at UNC to a 16-year NBA career.

Antawn shares how watching Michael Jordan sparked his love for basketball, how North Carolina’s pickup culture shaped his toughness, and becoming a top-five high school prospect before committing to UNC. He recalls the conversations that helped convince Vince Carter to commit to Chapel Hill, their freshman years together, pushing each other alongside Ademola Okulaja, and playing for Coach Dean Smith.

Antawn takes Vince and T-Mac inside his decision to leave UNC for the NBA, the 1998 NBA Draft night trade that sent Vince to Toronto and Antawn to Golden State, and early struggles that made him question himself. He also looks back on his unforgettable first NBA matchup with Charles Barkley, joining the exclusive 20,000-point club, and battling fellow greats Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan.

Antawn also reflects on his time with the Washington Wizards, explains why Gilbert Arenas was his favorite teammate, and shares what made their on-court chemistry so special. He and Vince then take it back to their UNC days—from Vince keeping the dorm floor on hip-hop all day to switching it up with R&B at night.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:30 Antawn Jamison Joins Cousins

02:42 How Antawn Fell In Love With Basketball

04:35 Pickup Basketball Culture In North Carolina

07:03 Becoming A Top-5 High School Prospect

10:22 Freshman Year At UNC

15:12 Playing Under Coach Dean Smith