There are three images, give or take, that encapsulate Tyler Hansbrough’s career as a North Carolina men’s basketball player.
One captures the goofy elation on his face after he led the 2006 Tar Heels to an unexpected win on Duke’s senior night in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Another depicts his 6-foot-9 frame enveloping his 5-foot-10 head coach in a bear hug after North Carolina had all but won the 2009 national championship.
And the third one pays tribute to his long-held nickname of endearment — taken right after Duke guard Gerald Henderson’s elbow connected with and bloodied Psycho T’s nose in a 2007 contest between Duke and UNC in the Smith Center.
“He was their golden boy,” Henderson said lightheartedly, revealing that both players have moved on from the instance. “It was a horrible incident… It was a pretty big deal, but as we talk about it, we’re able to get both perspectives from it.”
Ten years later, Hansbrough and Henderson are hosting a podcast together, and they’ll be discussing something they were once at the epicenter of — the rivalry between the Duke and North Carolina basketball programs.
The podcast, officially titled “Tobacco Road,” plans to provide an insider’s perspective on the rivalry that, to some, is peerless in its tradition and intensity.
Hansbrough and Henderson recorded the podcast’s first episode on Wednesday, and as of five hours after it was posted, it was listed as 15th on iTunes for audio podcasts — ahead of ESPN's First Take and The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz.
“I’ve been looking to get into different media stuff,” Henderson said. “So to have your own show, especially with someone like Tyler, (is) right up my alley. We’ll talk Duke-UNC from all ranges. It was almost like a no-brainer.”
Hansbrough said he hopes to welcome former and current players on the show, and that when he learned Henderson wanted to join him on the venture, he jumped at the opportunity.
