Ten years later, they sure make strange bedfellows.

Boy was I shocked to read Thursday that Tyler Hansbrough and Gerald Henderson have collaborated on a podcast called Tobacco Road. Yes, you heard it correctly, our Hansbrough and THAT Henderson, who also collaborated on one of the meanest fouls in ACC basketball history.

On March 4, 2007, in the regular-season finale at the Smith Center, fourteen seconds remained with the Tar Heels protecting a 12-point lead. Hansbrough and Henderson were still in the game for some reason, more on that later, when Tyler missed the back end of two free throws. Hansbrough went after the rebound like the Psycho T he was, got it and started up toward the basket.  Henderson was swooping in from the other side of the lane and came down with the full force of his 260 pounds, elbow first, on Hansbrough’s nose, which split open and began hemorrhaging blood all over his face and uniform.

Hansbrough went to the training room and Henderson to the Duke locker room, ejected for a flagrant foul.

Psycho T played the entire ACC tournament wearing a plastic mask to protect his schnoz while Henderson sat out suspended from Duke’s first game, a loss to N.C. State. Both Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski got defensive when asked why their two stars were still in a game-over that late. Coach K really toasted ol’ Roy when he said Henderson had become the victim.

“Dad-gum, Jiminy Christmas, what are you freaking talking about?” Williams said to no one in particular. “My guy is the one with the broken nose.” Anyway, both guys played two more college seasons and headed for the NBA, never as much as rubbing noses again. Hansbrough called it a dirty play, still does, and moved on. Henderson still gets questioned about it.

So now why a podcast? Well, Tyler is in China making big bucks and loving the lifestyle as just about the biggest name in Asian pro basketball. Henderson, who played for the Bobcats/ Hornets and Sixers, is recovering from surgery to repair a broken hip. Time on their hands and bygones will be bygones.

“It’s done – I don’t need a petting zoo to get over it,” Hansbrough told his co-host. “Me and you, I don’t even think we’d really spoken before you elbowed me.”

And hadn’t spoken since either. That is, until they went podding.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Related Stories
None