Michael Jordan and Sam Perkins Spend a Day on the North Carolina Campus in Oct. 1983

Before they were NBA stars, Michael Jordan and Sam Perkins were just two UNC students enjoying a fall afternoon.

Andy Gray | Aug 10, 2017

Michael Jordan and Sam Perkins Spend a Day on the North Carolina Campus in Oct. 1983 /

In Nov. 1983, SI's Curry Kirkpatrick wrote a cover story about Michael Jordan and Sam Perkins, who at the time were stars of the top-ranked North Carolina basketball team. The piece focused on the duo and their opposite personalities.

"Perkins' on-court persona is as mundane as Jordan's is spectacular," Kirkpatrick wrote. "Tales of Jordan's many and varied leaps and bounds are already prominent in Tar Heel lore, while Perkins' lefty jump hooks speak softly and fade from memory."

SI also sent photographer Lane Stewart to the UNC campus to capture the duo studying in the classroom, meeting with coach Dean Smith and enjoying a fall afternoon in Chapel Hill.

That's just a taste. Here are more photos of Perk and MJ in 1983.

North Carolina Stars Sam Perkins and Michael Jordan in 1983

Published Aug 10, 2017

ANDY GRAY

A senior editor atSI.com, Andy Gray oversees Hot Clicks, Extra Mustard and the Swimsuit site. A Boston sports loyalist and Columbia graduate, he joined SI in 2005.