MICHELE NORRIS, host:
Time now for your letters.
On Friday, we remembered Lorenzo Charles, a member of the North Carolina State basketball team. It was his last-second slam dunk that won the Wolfpack the NCAA title nearly 30 years ago.
(Soundbite of basketball game)
Unidentified Man #1: It's down to seven seconds.
Unidentified Man #2: You can see the time.
Unidentified Man #1: Whittenburg, Olajuwon, way down the court.
(Soundbite of cheering)
Unidentified Man #1: They won it on the dunk.
NORRIS: Lorenzo Charles died last week at the age of 47. My co-host Robert Siegel sat down with Dereck Whittenburg, the man who made that pass. Well, really, it was more of an errant shot that Charles caught and dunked against the University of Houston.
Mr. DERECK WHITTENBURG (Sports Commentator, ESPN): Every day, somebody come up to me and always want to talk about the infamous pass or the shot. And they always mention Lorenzo and I together. And I will always remember that play, you know, for the rest of my career and life.
NORRIS: Well, that tape of Charles' unforgettable play from 1983 conjured up memories for a few of our listeners.
Donna McLamb of Tempe, Arizona writes that: It immediately brought back the same joy and tears I experienced at age 18, when I jubilantly watch the winning game from our living room television in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Amy Palmer of Atlantic Beach, Florida, also recalls that year for the state team. She writes: With nail-biting game after heart attack-inducing game, I remember being with my friends at the beach for spring break when the final game was played. We were on the edge of our seats. Would they pull it off again? And they did - slam dunk.
Well, if you think one of our stories is a slam dunk or we bricked the shot, you can always write to us by visiting npr.org. Just click on Contact Us.
(Soundbite of music)
NORRIS: We've got more coming up from ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
