It's safe to say that Armando Bacot and Caleb Love competed against each other plenty of times in practice during their time as teammates with the UNC basketball program.
All that hard work has paid off, as the former Tar Heels squared off for the first time in their professional careers on Saturday night in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Bacot got the upper-hand in this meeting, leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 96-86 victory over Love and the Portland Trail Blazers.
Similar to what he did a lot during his time in Chapel Hill, Bacot recorded a double-double. He finished the night with 14 points and 12 rebounds, recording four blocks as well.
One of those blocks came against Love, a Tar Heel on Tar Heel crime!
Both players got a great chuckle out of the moment.
FOUR swats tonight for Armando Bacot! ❌
— ESPN BET (@ESPNBET) July 13, 2025
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/LhbaLs3bZX
Love scored 18 points for the second consecutive game but wasn't as efficient as he was in the Trail Blazers' summer league opener. He connected on seven of his 21 attempts from the floor, including three of 9 from three-point range, as his last bucket came within the first minute of the final quarter of play.
For those who stayed up to watch, it felt like a full-circle moment. Two guys who were instrumental in the UNC basketball program's Final Four run in 2022 were living their dream of playing pro, both looking to earn permanent spots on NBA rosters for the foreseeable future.
Saturday night was a throwback to the good ole' days and a reminder of how close the Tar Heels came to adding another national championship with both of these guys on their roster.