The annual UNC-Duke rivalry had a little extra excitement this year when it was revealed that former president Barack Obama would be attending the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham.
Obama, who has made his allegiance towards the Tar Heels well known, sat sitting courtside to watch UNC defeat Duke 88-72 in the first matchup of the rivalry this season. Freshman sensation Zion Williamson left the game in the first minute after blowing out his shoe and suffering a knee injury, something that Obama made note of in the moment.
“His shoe broke.” pic.twitter.com/FAtpaF5uAt
— Chase Hughes (@ChaseHughesNBCS) February 21, 2019
Wednesday’s game marked the second time that Obama has seen the Tar Heels play in person since becoming president, the first coming when UNC played Michigan State in the 2011 Carrier Classic. That game was played on the USS Carl Vinson with UNC winning 67-55.
The win over Duke means that the Tar Heels are a perfect 2-0 in games attended by Obama.
Thanks Obama. pic.twitter.com/OuSaN2yqdS
— Brice Johnson (@bjohnson_23) February 21, 2019
On the flip side, the Blue Devils have not been so lucky in games that the former president has attended. In fact, Duke has yet to win a game that Obama has been at in person since becoming president.
In addition to Wednesday’s loss, Duke also lost to Georgetown 89-77 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C in 2010. Both Obama and vice president Joe Biden were on hand for that game.
However, both UNC and Duke have been fortunate to visit Obama as national champions during Obama’s time in the White House. The Blue Devils traveled to D.C. after winning championships in 2010 and 2015 while the Tar Heels visited in 2009.
Featured image via @DukeU
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