The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1525890
44 ■ THE WOLFPACKER For years, former NC State men's basket- ball player Dereck Whittenburg has said he would save some of his best anecdotes and stories from his playing and coaching career for his own book, when he had time to write them all down. As promised, Whittenburg recently pub - lished "The Shot Heard Around The World: How I Went From The Playground To The White House" (© Dereck Whittenburg, 2024, Books for Athletes), a 226-page collection of stories from throughout his life as a local hero in Washington, D.C., a player at NC State, an assis - tant and head coach at various schools around the country and a broadcaster for ESPN. Whittenburg currently serves as an associate athletics director at NC State, focusing mostly on maintaining relationships with former athletes, alumni and donors. The reflection is at its best when sharing in - sights not frequently heard, like being left alone at his hotel with high school teammate Sidney Lowe by host "Hawkeye" Whitney; what it was like to host Wilmington native Michael Jordan on his NC State recruiting trip; and how it felt as a kid from Washington, D.C., to stand in the White House with President Ronald Reagan. Whittenburg succeeds because his memoir is not just about the 1983 championship, which has been well covered by books, celebrations, remembrances and Whittenburg's own ESPN "30 for 30" documen - tary, "Survive and Advance," which won an Emmy. His account of those events is important, but not necessary to carry the narrative. He writes about his close family relationship, his friendship with mentor Jim Valvano and his work with the V Foundation for Cancer Research. He also shares his heartbreak at being cut by the NBA's Phoenix Suns and the reality of going to work at a Fuquay- Varina textile plant while he was finishing his degree in business administration. In particular, there is one revelation that Whittenburg makes near the end of the book that he has never fully accepted in the four decades after NC State beat No. 1 Houston for the 1983 NCAA championship. It was a shot, not a pass. — Tim Peeler The following is an excerpt from the book , printed with permission from Whittenburg, about his (and Sidney Lowe's) arrival on NC State's campus in the fall of 1979 after their standout ca- reers at DeMatha Catholic High School. Footsteps Of My Idol A s a freshman student-athlete at NC State, I was excited and couldn't wait for basketball season to begin. I thought playing at DeMatha Catholic in Maryland was a big deal, but I was now playing in front of a larger crowd at the same school where my cousin and idol David Thompson had played. Not to mention that the rest of the country was now tuning in to watch us play. During my first year, I wore the num- ber 4. However, the following season, until I graduated, I wore the number 25, which happened to be the same num- ber that NC State assistant coach Monte Towe used back when he played for the Wolfpack. My head coach, Norm Sloan, had also played at NC State. Coach Sloan played for Everett Case, who brought basketball to the South and won the first five ACC Championships for NC State. Coach Sloan was a big part of the university's history, and his legacy is intact. As a coach, he was a competitive guy, and he hated North Carolina and wanted to win at all costs. He was very transparent and always told us the truth so we could trust him. I remember the very first time I met Coach Sloan. He had come to pick us up so we could visit the campus at NC State, but before we did the visit, he took us out to dinner. In addition to be- ing fiercely competitive, he wore these colorful checkered jackets that he be- came known for. I laugh to this day any- time that I tell this story about him. While on our way to the restaurant, Coach Sloan kept complaining about the speed bumps on the road. The funny thing was, he never slowed down when he went over them. He just continued going at whatever speed he was going and drove full speed right over them while muttering, "The hell with all these speed bumps; I don't give a crap SHOOTING FOR THE MOON NC State Basketball Great Dereck Whittenburg Recounts His Remarkable Journey In A New Memoir COURTESY DERECK WHITTENBURG