Category: Tar Heels in NBA

LOOK: UNC staff joins Brady Manek at NBA workout

Former UNC basketball forward Brady Manek was joined by a few former Tar Heels and current staff members at one of his NBA workouts.

The term ‘Carolina Family’ isn’t just a saying, it’s something the entire program lives by. Once you are part of that family, it sticks with you forever.

And, that is the case with former UNC basketball forward [autotag]Brady Manek[/autotag]. Manek played just one season for North Carolina but quickly become a fan-favorite.

On Friday, he took part in workouts for the Washington Wizards and he had some familiar faces by his side. Head coach [autotag]Hubert Davis[/autotag], Director of Recruiting [autotag]Pat Sullivan[/autotag] and former Tar Heel great and current Wizards Director of Pro Personnel [autotag]Antwan Jamison[/autotag] were in the house for Manek’s workout.

In his lone season with UNC, Manek averaged 15.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 49.3 percent from the field. He also shot 40.3 percent from the three-point line.

Earlier this week, Manek worked out with the New Orleans Pelicans and Atlanta Hawks.

Manek is projected to go undrafted right now, but good showings in workouts can easily translate to late second-round picks or quick undrafted free-agent signings.

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Reggie Bullock sets Mavericks playoff record

Former UNC basketball wing Reggie Bullock set a Mavericks franchise playoff record for most threes in a postseason run.

Former UNC basketball wing [autotag]Reggie Bullock[/autotag] made Mavericks franchise history this week during the Conference Finals series against the Golden State Warriors.

Bullock has now made 50 3s in a single postseason run which is the most in Mavericks playoff history. This is coming on the heels of an 18-point performance where he went 6-of-10 from three.

So far this postseason, he is shooting 39.4 percent from three (50-of-127).

The Mavericks are currently down 3-1 to the Warriors. Bullock is averaging 12.8 points per game while shooting 37.5 percent from three in the series. He has scored in double-figures in three of the four games.

Bullock has been known as a terrific 3-and-D player for the majority of his career and has kept that up during this playoff run.

During the playoffs, Bullock has scored in double figures 10 times and has made at least three 3s 11 times in 17 games.

Game five is Thursday night at 9 pm ET.

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Reggie Bullock wins 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award

Former UNC guard and current Dallas Mavericks wing Reggie Bullock was awarded the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award.

Former UNC basketball wing [autotag]Reggie Bullock[/autotag] was named the winner of the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award, announced on Sunday.

Bullock is the second winner of the award after its inception in 2021. The winner of the award is given the option of which social justice organization to receive a $100,000 donation on their behalf.

The award is given to a player ‘for pursuing social justice and advancing Abdul-Jabbar’s life mission to engage, empower and drive equality for individuals and groups who have been historically marginalized or systemically disadvantaged.’

Bullock has been very active in the LGBTQ equity community over the past few years following the murder of his sister in 2014 who was an open transgender.

Bullock established an organization called RemarkaBull which is ‘a social enterprise providing revitalized spaces, housing and businesses developed based on the needs of the community. The Foundation portion focuses on LGBTQ support and the nonviolence movement.’

Jrue Holiday, Jaren Jackson Jr, Karl-Anthony Towns and Fred VanVleet were the other finalists for the award.

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Reggie Bullock sets new playoff career high

Former UNC basketball standout Reggie Bullock had a big game in the Dallas Mavericks Game 3 loss.

Things didn’t go as planned for the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Friday night. After jumping out to a double-digit lead, the Mavericks saw the Golden State Warriors go on a run in the third quarter to grab the lead and eventually win the game, taking a 2-0 series lead.

But not everything was a disaster for the Mavericks. One player that stood out was former UNC basketball wing [autotag]Reggie Bullock[/autotag].

He played a team-high 44 minutes and scored 21 points including all six of his field goals as three-pointers. Bullock also added three free throws to his stat line.

This postseason has been a big one for Bullock and his all-around game, showing up defensively in critical times. But with the Mavericks down 0-2 in the series, they are going to need Bullock to up his offensive game and keep this going as well.

Game 3 takes place Sunday in Dallas.

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WATCH: Brady Manek highlights from day one of G-League Elite Camp

UNC forward Brady Manek is taking part in the G-League Elite Camp this week and showcased his skills in the first scrimmage of the week.

Former UNC basketball forward [autotag]Brady Manek[/autotag] took the floor on Monday afternoon for the first time since North Carolina’s loss in the National Championship. Taking part in the G-League Elite Camp, Manek’s week began on Monday with his first scrimmage.

Manek scored 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and 2-of-5 from three. He also added seven rebounds and one assist.

Manek won the fan poll for the postgame interview following a tough, three-point loss.

“Everybody is out here playing hard. Everyone wants to show their skills, wants to just compete. It’s been a while since we all got to compete like this, at a stage like this, with players like this, so it is a lot of fun, we are out here having fun and trying to get better and compete,” Manek said postgame. “There are a few different tweaks to it (NBA rules). It’s definitely a little different. It feels a little bigger. The lanes are a little bigger. It’s interesting, but it is a lot of fun,”

The G-League Elite Camp is essentially an NBA Draft Combine tryout. It allows prospects do showcase their skills in front of both NBA and G-League scouts and earn an invite to the NBA Combine that takes place later this week.

In 39 games for UNC this season, Manek had 27 starts and averaged 15.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He also shot 49.3 percent from the field and 40.3 percent from three.

Watch the full highlights of Manek’s game one below:

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Cameron Johnson eligible for rookie extension in offseason

Former UNC basketball forward Cameron Johnson is eligible for a rookie extension as an interesting offseason for the Phoenix Suns looms.

The Phoenix Suns laid an egg in Sunday’s Game 7 loss to the Dallas Mavericks and that’s putting it nicely. After having the most wins in the NBA this season and coming off an NBA Finals appearance, it was a disappointing end for the Suns, exiting in the quarterfinals after a blowout loss to Dallas at home.

Phoenix fell behind by as much as 40 in Sunday’s loss and now a very interesting offseason is ahead. The Suns do have a championship-caliber roster as of now but that all could change pending a few moves.

The biggest one? DeAndre Ayton who is seeking a max extension after talks broke down last offseason. But there’s another player who is eligible for a rookie extension.

Former UNC forward [autotag]Cameron Johnson[/autotag] is eligible for a rookie extension and is coming off the best season of his career. Johnson averaged 12.5 points while shooting 42.5% from the three-point line in 26.2 minutes per game.

He finished third in the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award and as ESPN’s Bobby Marks writes, Johnson is a priority for the Suns:

With Jae Crowder now entering the last year of this contract, Johnson is a priority. But is Phoenix willing to pay starter money for a player who finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting?

In 16 games as a starter, Johnson averaged 16.3 points, 49% from the field and 42% on 3-pointers. He would go on to average 17.3 points, shooting 50% from the field and 44% on 3-pointers, in games in which he played at least 30 minutes.

The Suns want to keep Johnson in Phoenix and if they have those championship aspirations, they need to figure out this offseason and have Johnson become a player that improves even more in the coming months.

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Former UNC basketball guard Danny Green suffers torn ACL

UNC basketball guard Danny Green suffered a torn ACL during the Philadelphia 76ers season-finale.

The Philadelphia 76ers saw their season come to a close on Thursday night but that wasn’t the only negative news to come from the game as former UNC guard [autotag]Danny Green[/autotag] left the game with a knee injury.

On Friday, it was announced that Green had torn his ACL. The injury came when 76ers center Joel Embiid drove under the basket on the baseline and slipped, falling into Green’s planted leg.

Green turns 35 in June and with a normal rehab process of nearly a year before getting back to feeling like yourself following an ACL injury, Green could go into free agency in 2023 without much time to prove himself.

Green averaged 5.9 points per game this season while shooting 38 percent from the three. He had 21 points in the 76ers Game 3 win.

The former Tar Heels guard is a three-time NBA champion (2014, 2019, 2020) and has career averages of 8.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. He is also a 39.9 percent shooter from three during his career.

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LOOK: Hubert Davis in Dallas to watch former Tar Heels

UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis was in Dallas to watch the Suns-Mavericks and met up with former players before the game.

The Western Conference playoff series between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns shifted to Texas for Game 3 on Friday night, and before the Mavericks cut the series lead to 2-1, a few former UNC basketball standouts met with a special guest.

UNC basketball head coach [autotag]Hubert Davis[/autotag] was in town to watch the game and met with [autotag]Cameron Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Theo Pinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Reggie Bullock[/autotag] before the game. Davis made the trip down to Dallas to see a few former Tar Heels battle in a key game for the series. Check out the photo they took ahead of the game below:

Bullock came up big for the Mavericks in the win, scoring 15 points and grabbing 4 rebounds in 41 minutes. He also continued to play stellar defense in the series.

Johnson scored just 6 points in the loss while Pinson did not play.

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Danny Green drains 7 three-pointers in 76ers win

Former UNC basketball standout Danny Green went off for seven three-pointers in the 76ers win over the Heat.

Friday’s Game 3 in Philadelphia was a must-win for the 76ers and while Joel Embiid’s return dominated the pre-game headlines, it was a former UNC basketball standout that got hot during the game and had a big performance.

Forward [autotag]Danny Green[/autotag] had his best game of these playoffs so far on Friday night. Green drained seven three-pointers and finished the game with 21 points in the 99-79 win for the 76ers. The win moved the series lead to 2-1, still in favor of Miami, but it was a huge win for the 76ers as the series shifts to Philadelphia.

With Green’s performance, he made a little NBA history, too:

Throughout his career, Green has been a consistent threat from the three-point line and has provided a boost for teams. That’s a big reason why he’s a multiple-time NBA Finals champion.

The 76ers are going to need Green to show up again in Game 4 if they want to even the series.

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UNC Basketball: Cam Johnson has playoff career-high in game one win

Former UNC basketball forward Cam Johnson continued his good play this season with a postseason career-high on Monday night.

The second round of the NBA playoffs are underway and there are multiple former UNC basketball players playing key roles for their teams. One of those players is former Tar Heels forward [autotag]Cam Johnson[/autotag].

Johnson plays a key role for the Phoenix Suns off of the bench and continued his good play in game one against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night. Johnson scored a postseason career-high 17 points in 24 mintues. He was 6-of-10 from the field and 3-of-6 from three.

The Suns took game one, 121-114.

Johnson has played in 28 career playoff games and is averaging 9.1 points per game while shooting 42.6 percent from three. He has scored in double-figures in 15 postseason games.

Earlier this postseason Johnson was named a finalist for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award after averaging 12.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game during the regular season. He also shot 42.5 percent from three on the season.

The Suns play again on Wednesday night in Phoenix.

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