Sean May
A college basketball force whose dominant NCAA championship performance remains a Carolina legend, despite a professional career cut short by injury.
Born 1984 (age 42)·American basketball player·Birthday: April 4·Millennials
Biography
Sean May's story is one of brilliant, concentrated triumph shadowed by physical betrayal. The son of former NBA player Scott May, he seemed destined for the court, but he carved his own legacy at the University of North Carolina. As a junior, he was the unstoppable engine of the 2005 Tar Heels championship team, a broad-shouldered forward with soft hands and a high basketball IQ. His Most Outstanding Player performance in the Final Four, where he scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the title game, was a masterpiece of post play. Drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats, flashes of that brilliance emerged—he made the All-Rookie team—but chronic knee issues robbed him of his mobility and ultimately his NBA career. He has since channeled his deep understanding of the game into coaching, returning to his alma mater as an assistant to help develop the next generation of big men.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Sean was born in 1984, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Sean Was Born
The biggest hits of 1984
#1 Movie
Beverly Hills Cop
Best Picture
Amadeus
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Sean's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1984Born
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1989Started school
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1997Became a teenager
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Could drive
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2002Could vote
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2005Turned 21
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2014Turned 30
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 40
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 42 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Named Most Outstanding Player of the 2005 NCAA Final Four after leading North Carolina to the national championship.
- Averaged a double-double (17.5 points, 10.7 rebounds) during his All-American junior season at the University of North Carolina.
- Selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2005 NBA Draft and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2006.
Did You Know?
His father, Scott May, was a college basketball star at Indiana University, winning the 1976 NCAA championship and National Player of the Year honors.
He was part of the famed 2005 North Carolina starting lineup, all five of whom were drafted into the NBA.
He has worked in the front office for the Charlotte Hornets, serving as the team's Director of Player Personnel.
“The ball has a way of telling you what it needs; you just have to listen.”
