Gottlieb notably entered a game with his shorts on backwards. He then took his shorts off while on the court, and put them back on correctly. He was guarded from cameras and taunting fans by a circle that his teammates formed around their embarrassed teammate. When Gottlieb became a broadcaster after his playing days ended, this incident was mentioned in a press conference by North Carolina head coach Roy Williams. After being questioned about criticism of his program by Gottlieb, Williams responded that Gottlieb "couldn't even put his pants on the right way." Williams then said "shorts on backwards, shorts on backwards," imitating the chant that opposing fans said to Gottlieb after the incident.