By now, you've watched the video on ESPN. You've seen the blood-soaked photos in the newspaper. You've heard too many people debate whether it was intentional.
So has Gerald Henderson, who now owns the most famous elbow this side of The Rock, thanks to his lacing of North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough in the closing minutes of the second game between the Tobacco Road rivals.
Yes, Henderson has watched it and seen it and heard it. And he's ready to move on-ready to transition into the role he was quietly moving into before The Elbow Heard Round the Triangle.
"You don't want to hang on to the past," Henderson said in October. "But you have to remember what's happened to you."
He was talking about Duke's 22-11 record last season, but in one epigrammatic sound byte he also managed to sum up his freshman campaign.
In the last two games of the regular season, losses to Maryland and North Carolina, the 6-foot-4 forward logged a combined 51 minutes. He scored 15 and 16 points, respectively, in the contests, two out of the four times he posted a double-digit scoring total after Christmas. He started both games, two of seven post-New Year starts.
Finally, he was starting to realize the potential that had generated preseason buzz that he could challenge North Carolina's Brandan Wright for ACC Rookie of the Year. Finally, he had added a sweet jump shot to his impressive repertoire of dunks, which continue to rock Cameron Indoor Stadium. Finally, he had seemed to overcome a bout of exercise-induced asthma and a nagging ankle injury, both of which relegated him to the bench early in the season.
"I felt comfortable at the end of last year, knowing what I was supposed to be doing," Henderson said.
And then Hansbrough grabbed an inconsequential offensive rebound with less than 20 seconds remaining in the Tar Heels' March 4 win over Duke in Chapel Hill. The North Carolina center came down with the ball, pivoted to face the basket and hoisted a put-back. Henderson came flying from the other side of the lane and, in an effort to block the ball, blocked Hansbrough's nose with his elbow.
It looked dirty, because of the scowl on Henderson's face, because of the way Hansbrough hit the ground back-first, because of the blood dripping down Hansbrough's face. But Henderson was immediately repentant and his apology was corroborated by North Carolina guard Wayne Ellington, a high school teammate of Henderson's. Still, for a few days, Henderson was the story of college basketball. His elbow had reinvigorated the Tobacco Road rivalry, as if it needed any more revving up.
After sitting out Duke's ACC Tournament loss to N.C. State for a one-game suspension, Henderson returned to start in the Blue Devils' NCAA Tournament loss to VCU. He scored eight points on 4-of-7 shooting and grabbed six rebounds. He didn't look to be the same player he was two weeks before, but he now insists he didn't feel a difference.
Until he does something to convince critics otherwise, Henderson will be known around the country as the Dukie that forced Tyler Hansbrough to look like Hannibal Lecter. But he is revered in Durham, not for The People's Elbow-although some may disagree-but for his nasty athleticism and freakish hops. When he steals a pass and throws the ball out to himself in the open court, the crowd in Cameron rises with a roar, anticipating something memorable, and Henderson rarely disappoints.
But this year, he won't just be a dunking extraordinaire.
"G needs to be the athlete," head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "He just needs to be there, and not be a 15, 16 minute-a-game player. He needs to be one of our key players. My feeling is that's what he'll do."
Henderson fits perfectly into Duke's new run-and-gun system because of his transition prowess, but also might be the most effective Blue Devil in the halfcourt, due to his ability to hang while shooting and slash to the rim. Practicing daily against one of Duke's best defenders, senior DeMarcus Nelson, will only help advance his offense-as did this past summer, when he played regular pickup games with college basketball players from his home city, Philadelphia, and attended the Kobe Bryant Skills Academy, where he talked shop with Kobe himself. More than anything, he developed his ball-handling skills, which is key to Duke's preferred tempo.
All of that-what the sophomore does on the court with his game, not his elbow-will help Henderson re-create his national image. And if he does become the player that Duke fans anticipate, he will still be vilified.
Not because he socked Tyler Hansbrough, but because Duke's best players always are.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.