REACTION: Deon Thompson Set To Join UNC's Staff + Why It's A Good Move!

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:00]All righty, AJ. We're here to talk a little Deion Thompson. Is he officially joining North Carolina staff as a graduate assistant? And people sitting here like, "Graduate assistant? What are you talking about? Deion College?" Deion Thompson's been out of school since 2010. Like, what do you mean graduate assistant? Coming back to Carolina, enrolling in the Kenan Flaggler Business School, attempting to get his masters, and as we've talked about, expected to join Michael Balone staff as a GA. Now AJ, first I got to address the fact that you're in a very different location. The blue background doesn't feel like you're in your office. I'm going to go out on a limb. Doesn't even feel like you're in the state. AJ, where the heck are you, man? Where you at right now?

[00:00:39]>> Can you see the palm palm trees?

[00:00:41]>> No. Yeah, palm trees.

[00:00:42]>> I tried to do that with the backdrop, but it wasn't happening.

[00:00:46]>> Yeah.

[00:00:46]>> I'm in Jackson I'm in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Rain day today, so I had to get my my wife my wife's getting steps, by the way.

[00:00:53]>> Love that. And I'll also today is five days or five years rather. I started my streak five years ago. Today, May 12, 2021.

[00:01:01]>> Every day for the last five years, at least 10,000 steps. How to get them in the mall today. I'm walking through we go to a sporting goods store and you go over to the right and after all these baseball hall of famers, and we're getting to Dion in a second, but after all these baseball hall of famers, Pete Rose, Picky Manel, Cal Ripken, Ken Griffy Jr., you got a ton of them up there, right? Robin out. There's this massive Michael Jordan display and like four different Carolina uniforms, two road, two home warm-ups from back in the day and some warm-ups. I don't think anybody ever wore, but they're just stuff to sell anything with MJ. So, wherever you go, man, he's there.

[00:01:34]Wherever you go, gear is there. I was in Wyoming as people know last week and I think on Thursday I'm driving through Jackson and a car in front of me had a UNCC sticker on the back of it and I was like you got to be I said that's France I've seen Carolina stuff and now it's Wyoming I've seen Carolina stuff everywhere you go man it's a brand the brand is legit I never thought I'd see a Carolina logo in uh in Jackson Wyoming saw plenty of University of Wyoming logos but did not expect >> you know a lot of people in France sold the on top of the play basketball a lot of people in a lot of European countries saw the on top of play basketball. How's that for a segue? I I'm not losing my touch.

[00:02:10]>> You ain't lost.

[00:02:11]>> I'm not I've already worked like four hours today, so I'm not done.

[00:02:15]>> You're back in it, man. You're back in it. The grind never stops over here. You did get some This is good.

[00:02:21]>> I got one full I've taken one full day off so far. That was yesterday. And I'm hoping to take tomorrow, third, tomorrow's Wednesday. Wednesday off.

[00:02:30]>> Yeah. Yeah. We're holding the >> Let's talk Dion. Let's Let's Let's talk Dion. I was excited. I've I've seen that he's been around >> and um he's played what 15 years 15 years in Europe.

[00:02:43]>> 15 years.

[00:02:44]>> I've seen that he's been around. So that's kind of cool. Um tell everybody more about it and what we kind of I got some stories to share because I covered Dion. Talked to him a lot back in the day and I'm excited to see him again. I haven't seen him and really probably since he left.

[00:02:57]>> Yeah, probably haven't. I mean I I'll just go through some stuff. I mean Carolina fans watching know who freaking Deion Thompson is. I don't have to explain it, but I'll just give some people some reminders. Obviously played at Carolina from 2006 to 2010, over 150 appearances for North Carolina. Um, obviously a key starter in North Carolina's 2009 National Championship team. Um, averaged 10.6 points, 5.7 boards dur during that title winning season. And as AJ alluded to, spent 15 seasons playing professional basketball overseas after college. Greek League Allstar, German League Allstar, Slovenian League Allstar, Slovenian uh Cup winner, Serbian Cup winner, Adriatic League winner, Lithuanian League winner.

[00:03:35]I the list goes on and on, man. Despite not having an NBA career, the guy has just won it all and and just racked up a ton of accolades and over a decade of experience playing professional basketball. Now he's coming back to Carolina as I mentioned in Keenan Flaggler Business School attempting to get his master's degree over there and is expected to join Michael Malone staff which I think is is uh exciting for a number of different reasons. And you know what it is AJ? I think the biggest thing that stands out about Dion and you can add to this because you covered him.

[00:04:05]The guy's seen it all at North Carolina.

[00:04:07]He's been a part of a national championship winning team. Arguably one of some people make the argument that it's Carolina's greatest ever team. I have I've seen that argument before. I I I can entertain that argument too. I think it's a fun one to talk about. He's a starter on that team, wins a national championship, and then his senior year he comes back and he's on a 20 and 17 team that makes it to loses to Dayton in the NIT championship. I mean, just those two years alone show you the breadth of experience that he had at North Carolina. We're not even talking about his first two seasons at North Carolina, which the targets were were pretty freaking good. So, yeah, man. I mean, what's your what was your immediate reaction to seeing Dion, you know, joining the staff as a as a GA and then, you know, feel free to dive into some, you know, more pertinent stories about him because I know you covered him for a while, too.

[00:04:50]>> Yeah. In the first three years of his Carolina career, they went 13-2 in the NCA tournament.

[00:04:55]>> Not bad.

[00:04:57]>> Not bad.

[00:04:58]>> Not bad, dude.

[00:04:59]>> He won He won He was on He was on two ACC tournament championship teams. Mhm.

[00:05:04]>> Uh Dion, the 2010 season, I'll get into in a second. First of all, he's a really, really solid player. An overlooked player.

[00:05:12]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[00:05:13]>> It's cool. Introduced himself to what Dion was. He was a really He was a glue player, but he was more than a glue player. He was the perfect compliment to Tyler Hanssbro at the four spot. He started over Tyler Zeller and Ed Davis, who were first round draft pick. Zeller was ACC player of the year in 2012. To me, he personified just being the guy that was there. If you go look at that national championship game, I think he scored what, two of the first couple of buckets, and he's just there. He's just playing ball.

[00:05:42]>> He didn't have to overdo anything.

[00:05:44]Didn't have to underdo anything. Just kind of played with those guys. Meshed in perfectly. Was the right had the right temperament to deal with Roy in that kind of a year when Roy was just, you know, whipping the horses to get to get to a championship, to get to the finish line first. And that team had loads of personality, a lot of different personality guys. And the one who probably you heard the least from if you were to go into a locker room after a road win or something like that would have been Dion because he wasn't super loud, at least when we were around. But I thought it was interesting because the next year they lose four starters from that team. Uh there was John Henson's freshman year. Roy had told John, "Hey, you could play the three." It didn't really work out. They were struggling.

[00:06:27]They had some issues in various parts.

[00:06:30]It wasn't a very good team. It just wasn't a very well put together team.

[00:06:34]That was the year that uh I think the wears left in the middle of that year.

[00:06:38]It was a It was a strange season. They ended up in the NIT and made a run. Will Graves was on that team. He's supposed to be one of their scorers. He was kind of off and on. Had some issues and just never really put anything together. And and and the reason I think this is kind of a more important takeaway from Dion uh to where he is now and the dots just it's not like a ton of dots like there's three massive dots that connect from then to now is that he cared so deeply for this program and he cared so deeply for what they were going through. I've got two quick stories for you that if you'll indulge me. The first one was it was after a home game they lost. I don't even remember who they lost to, but a lot of the media kind of left and Dion was just still talking. It was one of those nights where he's just sort of airing stuff out a little bit and as more media left, he aired it out a little bit more.

[00:07:30]Sometimes that happens, which is why I love being on the road because there's only a couple of us. And it just ended up with the two of us. And he said some things that were pretty edgy about his team. And then I could see a look on his face where he just kind of stops like, "Hey, wait a second." And I just looked at him. I said, I'm paraphrasing here.

[00:07:48]Something looked at. I said, >> "You need me to scratch that?" He said, "Yeah, will you please?" And I did. And I thought that that was a guy maturing right before your eyes as a leader, understanding the world around him with media and and what could get reported because it's not my job to protect him.

[00:08:07]But in a case like that, sometimes these younger guys, are you you cool with that? Is that on the record or off the record? I think it's perfectly fine and respectable, respectful to ask that. I do it with a lot of people in certain situations. Did that with him, but he wanted to say stuff and I bet you when that door closed, he walked in that door closed, he said it. Now, that team didn't fully overcome until late. They made they played some pretty good ball in the NIT. Made a nice run and that built toward the next year, which brings me back to the other story. They played William and Mary and Carmichael. It was the first game in Carmichael since they left the arena. They had to play in inh Carmichael, I believe, because they were they were setting up something was going on already planned in the Dean Dome. So, they had to play in Carmichael and they beat they beat William and Mary and they played pretty well. And I I remember asking Dion, there were a few others around, but man, this time of year ago, you're winning every NCAA tournament game by by double digit by double digits. You're blitzing through the thing. you're one of Carolina's best teams ever and now here you are Carolina in an NIT which was almost unheard of although the 03 team did that as well and he talked about it's not about where we are right now it's about what we're doing later today and tomorrow because we're trying to get this team in the best position they can to springboard in the next year he was a senior >> and he was taking the NIT seriously because of what it could do for the guys that were going to be back of course this is a different time you can't really do that now because you don't know whoever's going to be back. But that's the mindset of a young man back then when he was 22 and now they have him at 37 in the program and around these kids. And I think the benefit of having another brain to pick, another national champion around the program and a guy who showed you that you don't have to get to the NBA to make a great have a great life. I don't know how much money he's made, but it's probably in the 15 million range. A good bulk of his career, he made a million plus, which is big money over there.

[00:10:12]>> But he also, they also, you know, pay for all your expenses. It's different.

[00:10:16]His kids are born over there, so he have dual citizenships. There's a whole lot of experiences he can bring to this club. And oh, by the way, he knows the European market. He's probably known over there. He knows how to communicate with people. You're talking about another element of Carolina going Euro, going international, and I think it's absolutely enormous. I love to see it. I can't wait to see him.

[00:10:39]>> Yeah, man. He's got That was the first thing I put on the boards when it happened when Noah put the piece out, but that was the first thing I wrote in the boards is like, man, just imagine the international connections he has.

[00:10:48]Imagine the amount of people he knows because, okay, he had a 15-year career overseas. He didn't he didn't play for three teams. He played for like 15 teams. Like, he played for in so many different countries. That's why I went that's why I listed the Greek League Allstar, Slovenian League Allstar, you know, winning the leagues over there.

[00:11:04]You know, he played in the Adriatic League where Luca is from, Serbian, he's played in the Serbian League, Lithuanian League, all those leagues. The the connections he has to not only people over there, but organizations, basketball teams, basketball clubs as they like to call them over there, I think is is absolutely invaluable. So, yeah, I think that's a a massive just plus for what he could potentially bring on on that side of things. But like you said, the experience he has in North Carolina is another guy that's kind of connected to the family, obviously loves the university, and it's almost like a little bit of a free hit, too, AJ, cuz he's he's a GA. Carolina still has two full-time spots that need to fill, but it's not like Deion Thompson's coming in as your number two assistant. You're kind of like taking a punt on somebody, and you know, he's never been a coach before, but he's got a lot of really good professional experience. It's like, no, you're bringing a guy in that's literally in school, but is has been playing professional basketball for 15 years. It's kind of this very like unique situation that I I I'm sure has happened in other places before, but probably doesn't happen a ton with being able to get a graduate assistant who has that much life experience. And oh, by the way, also has one of those rings on his finger, too, which I'm sure he'll be showing some of the players of like, hey, this is what you can accomplish here if things go the right way. So, yeah, I think it's I think it's a super positive one all the way around. I really do.

[00:12:15]>> Yeah. I'm going to lather this up a little bit more. there's the the the range of conversations he can have with kids. He knows what life is like all around around much of the globe and he knows how good kids have it here and he's seen it firsthand. He's also a guy who doesn't have to get his educa finish getting his education. He's in the Keenan flag business school which by the way Arando took and has used very very well to his advantage. He doesn't have to do this. He's got more money he'll ever need, but he's doing it and he has his reasons to do it. I I don't know what they are, but but they're I'm sure they're great reasons, and I certainly admire him for it. But these kids are seeing it, too.

[00:12:54]>> Mhm.

[00:12:55]>> They're seeing a guy go back and get education, continue to improve himself when he's made enough money to live on for the rest of his life, which I'm sure he has because the way the structure is there. The other thing too, and this is a small little thing, but I told you this before you hit record that I think it's fascinating that he's a California guy and Carolina's kind of hit in California again of late and there was a period in time where nobody wanted to touch California because of the point guard no one ever wants to talk about and the Twins nobody ever wants to talk about. But Dion Thompson was from Torrance, California. He's a national champion, as a really good player at Carolina, and now will be a figure people will be a little bit more romantic uh with when they talk about his tenure at Tarhill and him just being a Tarhill because he's back, he's run the program, and he will help the program in whatever roles that Michael Malone asks him to have. And also keeps another Carolina guy around.

[00:13:50]>> So, you're bringing some a couple more outsiders, but I think if they're good enough for Michael Malone, they're good enough for everybody else in that staff.

[00:13:58]They're not outsiders. They become Tarheelss as soon as they agree and they come on board. Except King English. I don't think he was around long enough to be a Tarheel. But I think it's a great move. I'm excited for Dion. I'm excited for the program. I think that the kids that come through this program that are going to have a chance to talk to him and learn from him are going to benefit from it tremendously. So this is a winwin across the board for the program.

[00:14:22]>> No doubt. I think if I'm Michael Malone, first practice, I'm I'm saying, "Hey, Sean Kato, how about you go play with Dion one-on-one for a little bit and just let him elbow you in the face 65 times." Like that that's the kind of stuff he can bring too because of the experience, the size. I mean, you talk about him as a player, >> physical, big- time guy. I mean, he he he was he was a unit out there. There's no missing him on the court. So, I mean, I think that aspect of it, too, will be fascinating to see how that plays out.

[00:14:46]>> I want Kita to guard Tyler Hanssbro in a scrimmage and I want Dion Thompson to come over and set a back screen on him.

[00:14:55]>> Oh my god. Talk about two units, man.

[00:14:57]>> Time to grow up, young man. Time to grow up.

[00:15:00]>> He might be on the He might be on the plane back overseas after one practice if he does that. This ain't for me, dude. This ain't for me. I'm going back to Barcelona, man. A little different out here. But nah, all jokes aside, I think that's another element because he's again, he's just finished playing.

[00:15:14]I mean, I don't even know if he's officially retired. I meant to actually look into it. Um, but I don't think he ever officially announced his retirement, but I guess that's kind of the official one right here.

[00:15:25]>> Guys over there, >> I think a lot of guys over there just sort of stopped playing and that's that.

[00:15:30]>> I think that I don't think you really need to make some huge and I could see him being the type of guy that doesn't make have some make some massive announcement about it or something like that, too. Last thing I'll add, you brought up the William and Mary game from from that NIT run. Every time I think of that game, I just think of the uniforms Carolina wore. They wore those retro unis and I don't know if they've wore them since. I can't remember if they've wore those uniforms.

[00:15:51]>> Was that the one with the red waistband?

[00:15:53]You know what I'm talking about.

[00:15:54]>> Yeah.

[00:15:55]>> I can't remember what year they're from.

[00:15:56]I could look it up. I meant to do it.

[00:15:58]>> Yeah. I talked to Tyler Tyler Zeller a lot that night. Boy, the interviews back there. It was like in a almost like an like an office nook inside Carmichael.

[00:16:09]And I do remember the uniforms that was uh I think that was the the red little stuff was what they had in 57.

[00:16:16]>> That's what I thought. I was thought it was 50.

[00:16:19]>> I just remember talking to Tyler Zeller and he really started playing well and and if we were to do a Tyler Zeller podcast, I would I would tell the story, but it was that same night that you could just see like he was just man, he was ready to take off. Like his game was coming big time.

[00:16:34]>> Yeah. And uh that was that that was for me that launching pad was two things.

[00:16:41]One, Tyler Zeller and two John Henson because Roy finally put him down low.

[00:16:46]I've talked to John about this a couple times here recently.

[00:16:49]>> Roy put him down low and you had the Zeller Henson duo. I don't want to call him duo of doom. That was Dale Davis and Elden Campbell 15 years a year. But yeah, that was Caroline's duo doom. They work so so well together. Yeah, >> it's pretty cool. They all call him Z. I like when when Henson says something who says something about Z. I'm thinking, man, those two guys were unbelievable together. So, >> yeah, man. A lot of Yeah, they were they're absolutely fantastic. But yeah, Deion Thompson.

[00:17:15]>> That was Dion's last home win. That was Dion's last home win because then they went to UAB, went to Mississippi State, >> and then they played um >> played Dayton.

[00:17:27]>> They played Dayton in the final, but who did they play in the Final Four in the NIT that year? I'm drawing a blank now.

[00:17:32]Oh, it was um Oh my god, I literally just I was looking at it 20 minutes ago.

[00:17:36]Shame on me for >> I haven't looked at that in a long time.

[00:17:39]I haven't done a whole lot of pull as we talk right here because I've got it right here. It was UAB. They went to UAB in one. It was William and Mary Mississippi State at UAB and then Rhode Island. Rhode Island.

[00:17:50]>> Rhode Island. Yeah. Yeah. Rhode Island.

[00:17:52]>> Yeah. Yep.

[00:17:54]>> Yeah. That was I remember Larry.

[00:17:57]Was it UAB hit the game winner against?

[00:17:59]>> Yeah. Yeah. And that win for Dayton got their head coach the Georgia Tech job which he was promptly fired from five years later.

[00:18:07]>> Yep. Yep. Yep. Hey, Carolina propping somebody up and then goes to Georgia Tech.

[00:18:11]>> And then that gave Georgia Tech Josh Passner who did.

[00:18:14]>> Yeah, man. Hey, got him an ACC conference title, man.

[00:18:17]>> He got a conference championship wearing the shield guy. We can't believe we went through that. Well, here we are.

[00:18:23]>> What a what a time to be alive, AJ. What a time to be alive.

[00:18:26]>> He had Jose Alvarado, man. I was I'm with that. Jose Alvarado is fun.

[00:18:30]>> Anyway, I'm glad Dion's back. It's pretty good stuff.

[00:18:34]>> Absolutely. Absolutely. Get get involved in the comments, guys. What do you think about, From what I've seen, very positive reaction, especially as him coming in as a graduate assistant. So, get involved in the comments. What do you think about Deion Thompson being back involved with the North Carolina basketball program? If you're a student watching this, man, who the heck knows?

[00:18:50]Maybe you'll see him walking around Chapel Hill sometime next year as well.

[00:18:54]But he's gonna be one busy guy. you don't know much about him, go back and watch Go back and watch the 09 title game. I thought that was the sort of that that performance personified what Dion was to that team in my opinion.

[00:19:04]Really all but certainly Dion >> he was again he was 10.6 points, 5.7 boys during the title winning season playing alongside one of the best players in college basketball history.

[00:19:13]So I mean yeah there's there's a there's a reason that team was so freaking good.

[00:19:16]If you're you're a starter for that team, you're I'm going go on a limb and say you're pretty freaking good at basketball. So, yeah, Deion Thompson, uh, yeah, definitely deserves his flowers for that one. It'd be interesting to see the reception he receives when he's back in the Smith Center next year as well. I'm sure it'll be a very, very, very positive one. But I'm Jacob Turner. I've been Jacob Turner. He's been Andrew Jones on vacation down in Florida hopping on a quick podcast. I was going to go solo on this. I was like, you know what, AJ, I'll do a quick solo one, just kind of react to it. And then AJ said, you know what, man? Let's hop on here and talk a little Deion Thompson for a little bit.

[00:19:44]That's dedication. So, >> very happy to talk Deion Thompson. So, I I >> You were You were You were ready. You were ready to talk some Dion Thompson, a man.

[00:19:52]>> And I I spent money on my wife today, so I guess I built up some of the points >> and yesterday and the day before. So, I've been I've been buying her all kinds of stuff just so I could sneak away and do a podcast today.

[00:20:04]>> He's not standing over there looking at her watch staring at you like, "AJ, come on, dude. It's been 20 minutes already.

[00:20:08]>> I'm not turning my I'm not turning my head for a reason."

[00:20:11]>> Yeah, don't turn that head, man. Don't do that.

[00:20:12]>> She's over there doing something. I don't know.

[00:20:15]I promise we will not derail this podcast for another 20 minutes because I'll wrap it up here for AJ.

[00:20:22]>> All right guys, appreciate y'all watching as always. Keep it like char2247.com. We'll see youall next time. Thanks. Thanks.