What, it copied a single-class, multiple-interface statically typed OO language? Since the lead architect on C# designed one of those that predated Java, I think it is pretty clear what he was copying.
I think this is a little bit handwavey regarding the historical background. My understanding is that NGWS, and then .NET 1.0, grew out of J++ and the Microsoft JVM extensions being a problem. Most of C#'s semantics, especially with regards to C# 1.0, very closely parallel Java's (right down to stuff like missing generics in the first release), as does large parts of the .NET class library. I don't think it's unfair to characterize it as C# taking a lot of notes from Java, nor do I think it's unfair to characterize Java doing the same thing here.
This isn't to say Anders and company didn't significantly improve it, to be clear, but I tend to think they were looking much more at Java than at Object Pascal.
I don't think it's unfair to say C# took some cues from Java either, but Property syntax, for example, (sadly) has no counterpart in Java, only Object Pascal/Delphi.
Historically, the impetus behind C#'s birth _absolutely_ was Java and the J++ debacle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object_Pascal