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 22:16 T-Mac’s Experience Playing Pickup At UNC 25:34 The Deciding Factor In Going Pro 31:38 Xfinity Court Connections 36:15 Getting Traded For Vince On Draft Night 42:59 Vince & Antawn Going Through The NBA Together 44:40 Antawn’s First Few Years In The NBA 47:38 Playing In Washington 53:14 Playing With A Young LeBron James 54:54 Playing With Kobe Bryant 57:04 What Antawn Is Most Proud Of From His Career 58:38 Being Part Of The Decision To Hire Coach Michael Malone 01:03:28 Vince & Antawn Share Their College Stories 01:05:29 What Antawn Would Tell His Younger Self 01:07:17 Why Gilbert Arenas Was His Favorite Teammate 01:10:26 Wrap Up Follow Cousins on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinceandtmac/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vinceandtmac X: https://x.com/VinceAndTmac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VinceAndTMac/ Much love to our sponsors: Xfinity: Xfinity Shield is your defensive line at home and online with built-in WiFi protection features. Detect motion with your Xfinity Gateway, no cameras needed. Plus, your devices are protected from threats and risky sites the moment they connect. Get it now at xfinity.com/shield. https://www.xfinity.com/learn/deals/offers?cmp=BAC:NA:ACQ:BAUP:PRO:GEN:HIS:COM:DIG:wifishield:2377 Check out Get TO The Point with Terrell Owens & Chris Spencer:  The podcast where everyone gets to the point. T.O. and Chris get into sports, culture, comedy, entertainment, hot takes and the conversations everyone is already having.  WATCH/LISTEN: youtube.com/@GTTPPodcast Uncrustables: Enjoy an Uncrustables right when you want one