Lorenzo Charles

American college basketball player who made the game-winning dunk for NC State in the 1983 NCAA Championship, creating one of March Madness's most iconic moment

Lorenzo Charles was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1963. He attended North Carolina State University under coach Jim Valvano and won the national championship in 1983. His defining moment came with time expiring in the championship game against Houston — Derrick Whittenburg launched a half-court shot that fell well short of the basket, and Charles caught it in mid-air and dunked it through to win 54-52 in the most stunning upset finish in tournament history. The moment launched coach Valvano's famous sprint across the court searching for someone to hug and created the image that became the symbol of March Madness. He averaged 8.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game across his career — modest statistics that completely understate his place in tournament history. His NC State career is defined entirely by that single moment — a player who won a national championship with a last-second dunk on a teammate's errant shot, denying the Phi Slama Jama dynasty its expected title. He died in a bus accident in 2011 aged 47.

Power forward known for rebounding, dunking ability and clutch performances

Forever remembered for one of the most famous plays in college basketball history

• National Championship (1983)
• Tournament hero
• The Dunk heard round the world
• ACC champion
• NCAA National Championship (1983)
• ACC Tournament Championship (1983)