Yells, Sales Greet Hansbrough Decision

Chuck Helpingstine was at his desk Friday when the news came.

Rex Johnson, his web technician, was at the next desk, hunting for Carolina basketball news.

“He’s checking all the time,” Helpingstine said.

Both are huge Tar Heel basketball fans who let out a whoop of joy when they found out Tyler Hansbrough will return to Chapel Hill. But they have more than just a fan’s interest in the team. Helpingstine owns Johnny T-shirt, located in downtown Chapel Hill on Franklin Street, and so their business fortunes are tied to UNC’s success.

And the biggest seller they have – Hansbrough's No. 50 jersey.

“Tyler Hansbrough’s number is our best-selling jersey,” Helpingstine said Friday afternoon from his headquarters, which are actually in Hillsbrough. “And it’s nice to know we’ll get to keep selling it for another year.”

Helpingstine opened his business in 1983, and Hansbrough’s jersey has been the most popular one he has ever sold. In fact, Johnny T-Shirt has sold twice as many Hansbrough jerseys as any other number.

J.R. Reid? George Lynch? Antawn Jamison? Vince Carter? Sean May? Raymond Felton?

Not even close.

Some of that has been the growth in jersey sales and the growth in his business. For example, Helpingstine said two thirds of his business is now done on the web.

And some of that may be that because of licensing reasons, he can’t sell Michael Jordan’s No. 23.

He won't say exactly how many 50s he sells in a given year, but he does say the number is in “the hundreds.” Those numbers would dip if Hansbrough left. Helpingstine has found that interest in the numbers of former players tends to be low, so he focuses on the current team.

There’s no doubt Hansbrough is a skilled player. But the reason you see so many No. 50s on the backs of middle school kids goes beyond his mere talent.

Hansbrough is popular because he plays so hard and invests so much in the game. You can see it when he tumbles into Roy Williams while chasing a loose ball at N.C. State or dives to create a turnover against Clemson.

And you could see it again on Friday. While dozens of other players are announcing they’ll turn pro, he decided to stay. He’ll be a 23-year-old college senior this year – and eventually a 24-year-old NBA rookie – but he’ll also exude his trademark joy while playing.

Fans respond to that. Whether you love or loathe Carolina, you have to respect the intensity Hansbrough brings to the game.

Helpingstine, obviously, was thrilled by Friday's news and is still hoping Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington decide to return. But it was more than that.

“It’s not just business,” he said. “We’re not even thinking about the jersey sales. We want our team to be awesome and win next year.

“We’d love to see Carolina go all the way.”

Given Friday's announcement, Carolina just might.