M.L. Carr ’73 Enters N.C. Sports Hall of Fame
As a senior at Guilford, M.L. Carr helped the Quakers to a 29-5 record and the 1973 NAIA national championship. The Wallace, N.C., native was named All-America after averaging 18.4 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.
He became the ninth person with Guilford ties to be inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame when he was inducted May 10. He joined Dave Odom ’65, Rick Ferrell ’28, Tom Zachary ’18, Bob Jamieson ’33, former coaches Jack Jensen and Jerry Steele and former athletic directors Herb Appenzeller and Marion Kirby among the Hall’s 281 members.
Guilford went 101-25 in M.L.’s four seasons. After graduating from Guilford with academic honors and a history degree, he played in basketball’s minor leagues and in Israel before joining the ABA’s St. Louis Spirits in 1975. He spent three seasons with the NBA’s Detroit Pistons before joining the Boston Celtics.
M.L. played on the Celtics’ 1981 and 1984 NBA championship teams and retired in 1985. He spent 21 years with Boston’s organization, serving as head coach, executive vice president and director of basketball of operations during his tenure.
A successful businessman, he has served on Guilford’s Board of Trustees and as tri-chair of the Our Time in History capital campaign that netted more than $56 million.
He is a member of the NAIA Hall of Fame and the Guilford College Athletics Hall of Fame. His number, 30, was officially retired in 2009.
