Phil Ford is a former professional basketball player. He graduated from Rocky Mount Senior High School in 1974, and had an All-American collegiate career with the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Ford went on to play in the NBA. Ford was the second pick in the 1978 NBA draft. He won 1979 NBA Rookie of the Year with the Kansas City Kings. In 482 NBA games, Ford scored 5,594 points, but his real accomplishments lie in his college career. During his freshman season, he averaged 16.4 points and 5.2 assists per game - both of which were UNC freshman records that would stand for more than 20 years. In his sophomore year season, he was awarded First Team All-ACC selection, an honor he would also receive in his Junior and Senior seasons. In both his Junior and Senior years, Ford won the ACC Athlete of the Year award, making him one of just a few ACC athletes ever to win the award twice. As a senior, Ford was recognized as the National Player of the Year when he won the USBWA, NABC and Sporting News Player of the Year awards, as well as the John R. Wooden Award. 

Ford was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in May 1991. In 2002, Ford was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team honoring the fifty best players in ACC history. As of 2021, Ford is an assitant coach for the Tar Heels men's basketball team.