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UNC Basketball: Former Tar Heels face off in NBA Summer League action

By Blake Cockrum

May 15, 2021; New York, New York, USA; Reggie Bullock #25 and Theo Pinson #21 of the New York Knicks talk during warm ups before the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden on May 15, 2021 in New York City. The New York Knicks and the Charlotte Hornets wore shirts during warm ups celebrating the WNBA's 25th season. Mandatory Credit: Elsa/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
May 15, 2021; New York, New York, USA; Reggie Bullock #25 and Theo Pinson #21 of the New York Knicks talk during warm ups before the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden on May 15, 2021 in New York City. The New York Knicks and the Charlotte Hornets wore shirts during warm ups celebrating the WNBA's 25th season. Mandatory Credit: Elsa/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports /
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A pair of former UNC basketball stars took the court together on Wednesday evening in NBA Summer League action.

Theo Pinson and Day’Ron Sharpe never shared a college basketball court together, but they were both on the floor at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on Wednesday night.

Pinson is participating in this year’s NBA Summer League as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks after being picked up by the league’s defending champions late last week. Sharpe, on the other hand, is getting his first taste of NBA action following his recent first round selection in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Both former Tar Heels made their mark on the game, scoring a combined 24 points in 44 minutes of game action. Pinson, a 2018 University of North Carolina graduate, notched 13 points, six assists, five steals and two rebounds in a starting role. He was one of four Bucks to log at least 27 minutes in Wednesday’s 97-91 loss to the Nets. While Pinson struggled shooting the ball overall (3-for-11), he did connect on 2-of-5 from three-point range, and hit all five of his free throw attempts.

Sharpe had his best game of the summer, scoring 11 points off the bench to go along with eight rebounds and two blocks. He hit 5-of-7 shots in 17 minutes of play, and showed flashes of a player that could be a difference-maker for the Nets for years to come.

The first-year big man that played his one and only season of college basketball under former UNC head coach Roy Williams will be back on the court with his new running mates on Thursday night. They’ll take on the Washington Wizards at Sin City’s Cox Pavilion. Pinson and the Bucks will be in action on Friday afternoon against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on UNC basketball alumni throughout the NBA Summer League.

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