While he may no longer be the head coach for North Carolina, Hubert Davis is making it more than clear that his love for the program isn't going anywhere. He did so in a big way during Caleb Wilson's second Summer League showdown, as Davis was on hand for the action, watching Wilson put on another show with the ball in his hands.
In the second quarter of the Chicago loss, Davis was kind enough to speak with ESPN for an in-game interview. While he was of course asked about Wilson, Davis didn't hesitate in saying it was important for him to check in on all of his former players participating in the Summer League, which speaks to the relationships he built across the board.
"We’ve got eight UNC guys that I coached (in the Summer League), and it’s really important for me," Davis said while on with ESPN. "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. 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.”
Hubert Davis' love for UNC isn't going anywhere despite him getting fired this offseason
Say what you want about how Davis' time with Carolina ended, but no one can ever question how much he cares about his players. Him and Wilson in particular have an incredibly close friendship, which is why Wilson invited him to the NBA Draft so that HD could see him get taken with the No. 4 overall pick. It was an unforgettable moment for Wilson, his family, and Davis.
Since then, Wilson has won over countless people in Chicago thanks to his spectacular play, which included him putting together a historic 35-point performance in his Summer League debut. He followed that up with 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting against the Jazz, who held out Darryn Peterson in disappointing fashion.
Through his first two games with Chicago to get things going, Wilson has looked fantastic, with Davis enjoying what he's seeing out of the youngster thus far. For now, Davis is out of a job after he was let go by UNC, and he doesn't appear to be in any rush to return to the bench. As you all recall, he was fired by the Tar Heels following the second-half meltdown against VCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
While it was a disappointing exit for him, no one can forget that Davis gave his all to the program, and that he was also a former standout on the hardwood for the Tar Heels as well. It's easy to point at the negatives from his coaching tenure, but the bonds that he developed with so many of his players was special to see, and those connections are spilling over to the pro game too.
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