By R.L. Bynum
Hubert Davis was in Brooklyn when Caleb Wilson was picked No. 4 overall in the NBA Draft, and he is back on the road this week in Las Vegas to watch Wilson and other players he coached at Carolina take the floor at the NBA Summer League.
Davis arrived Monday and planned to stay through Wednesday, moving between two arenas, catching up with former Carolina players, and watching how they are progressing.
“We’ve got eight UNC guys that I coached, and it’s really important for me,” Davis said during an ESPN interview in one of his first public comments since UNC fired him as head coach. The interview occurred during the Chicago Bulls’ 80–63 loss to the Utah Jazz, as Wilson collected 19 points, three 3-pointers, eight rebounds, five blocks, two assists and two steals.
In addition to Wilson, other players he coached at UNC who are playing in Las Vegas are Henri Veesaar, RJ Davis, Drake Powell, Seth Trimble, Cormac Ryan, Pete Nance and Tyler Nickel.
“Relationships are the biggest part for me, and I always tell them that I can’t coach them unless I know them, and they can’t play for me unless they know me,” Hubert Davis said in a frequently repeated statement. “And so, just being out here and giving them a hug and telling them how proud I am of them, it’s so much. It brings so much joy to my heart to see them out there on the floor.”
What has always impressed Davis about Wilson, he said, is the rare combination of talent and character.
“I’ve never, out of all the players that I’ve been around, been around somebody that is as good as a basketball player, but just as good as a person, as a teammate,” Davis said. “And I’m just so happy for him.”
Davis, who was also in Atlanta the week of the draft for Wilson’s introductory press conference, described the draft night in Brooklyn as a family moment.
“It was great,” Davis said. “It was such a blessing and an honor to be there to watch him get drafted. Caleb and I have known each other such a long time.”
Wilson has drawn attention for his shooting in his Summer League debut, when he was 7-for-13 from 3-point range, matching his total from last season at UNC.
Davis said that outburst reflects work few people see.
“People are making a big deal, and they should,” Davis said. “But this is a guy that before and after practice, in mornings, late at night, he would always be in the gym working on the shot.”
Subscribe to read Tar Heel Tribune ad-free
Subscribe for a cleaner, smoother reading experience without the flashing banners, slow-loading elements, or those especially annoying pop‑up ads that interrupt the flow of the story. You’ll also get the first version of each story emailed to you. The only ads you’ll see are static, non-intrusive ads for UNC‑related books, and there are none currently on the site.
Wilson has said that he has taken between 2,000 and 2,500 shots per day over the last 10 weeks.
Davis pointed to Wilson’s limited 3-point attempts at Carolina as evidence of how much of his shooting touch was still developing in college, where his path to the basket was rarely contested.
Asked what will make Wilson a good professional, Davis cited more than just physical tools.
“He’s obviously tremendously gifted,” Davis said. “His work ethic, his ability to lead others. As I told you before, he’s an unbelievable teammate. His passion to be out there on the floor, and I think that’s one of the things that was really exciting is I got to see it every day at practice and in the games. But just his joy to be able to play basketball, it’s infectious, and I’m looking forward to what he does in Chicago.”
Photo via TV screenshot
