Danny Green has nothing but kind words to say about his former UNC teammate Tyler Hansbrough, calling him the guy you would want to fight alongside in a battle.
Tyler Hansbrough stood among the most decorated college players of the 2000s, collecting nearly every major individual honor along the way. In his senior year, he led North Carolina to a national title, averaging 20.7 points and 8.1 rebounds, while the Tar Heels dropped just four of their 38 games.
Hansbrough also has a reputation for being a tough-nosed blue-collar worker. For Danny Green, his teammate for four years at Chapel Hill, “Psycho T” is the type of guy you want on your side in a battle.
“He was very quiet, very introverted, and he was very to himself. He was intense when it came to the weight room and on the court,” Green said in the All the Smoke podcast. “He was one of those guys who didn’t make friends a lot. Everybody was an enemy… But he was the guy you want to go to battle with. He was not scared of nobody, no matter who it was. He will be there to fight for you.”
Good, but not great
Hansbrough joins a long list of college basketball legends with a so-so NBA career. He lasted only seven years in the Association, averaging 6.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in just under 17 minutes of action. The ACC’s all-time leading scorer never captured that touch in the big league, as most of his matchups were taller and stronger than he was.
Nobody questions Hansbrough’s effort every night, but that wasn’t enough once he got to the NBA. He never really added much to his offensive game beyond what he already had—banging inside, drawing fouls, and outworking people. That worked in college, but defenders were less likely to fall for the same tricks in the pros.
It was hard for him to stay on the floor without a steady jumper or reliable moves outside the paint. He became more of a role player, an energy guy off the bench, but as the league moved toward skill and spacing, he didn’t have the tools to keep up.
“I do think if the league isn’t as 3-point-driven and small-ball-driven, I’d probably still be playing right now,” Hansbrough admitted in 2019. “I still think I can play very competitive basketball, but the NBA has changed in a way that doesn’t fit my game.”
