It took 33 years, but one of the most famous and beloved title-winning teams in college basketball history finally got its trip to the White House -- to meet the President -- on Monday.
We told you a couple weeks back about how NC State finally made this happen. Former Wolfpack star Thurl Bailey wound up sending a letter to his friend, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, and from there, the wheels were put in motion. President Barack Obama greeted the champs, who in 1983 provided one of the most memorable and surprising college basketball title runs ever, beating the dominant and favored Houston Cougars in the process.
The game's ending (Lorenzo Charles dunking home an airball attempt by Dereck Whittenburg just before time expired) is one of the most famous, now rivaling the classic 2016 title game's finish, in which Kris Jenkins' 3-pointer gave Villanova a buzzer-beating victory. (If you're curious, Villanova has not yet visited the White House, but that's certainly happening in the coming months.
Charles died in 2011. Whittenburg, Bailey and all the surviving members from the team made the trip, though.
"Everybody looks like they could still ball a little bit," Obama said, per the AP.
It's a great capper to one of the best stories from the '80s, which many believe to be the golden era of college hoops.
