Title: UNC STARS SHOW OUT: R.J. Davis, Armando Bacot Lead Tar Heels Charge in NBA Summer League Spotlight
The bright lights of Las Vegas weren’t the only thing heating up during the 2025 NBA Summer League—Tar Heel firepower took center stage, and the basketball world took notice. Former UNC standouts R.J. Davis and Armando Bacot delivered electrifying performances that not only turned heads but reignited conversations about North Carolina’s status as one of the nation’s most consistent pipelines to professional greatness.
Both players entered Summer League with something to prove.
For Davis, the 6’0” dynamic guard whose clutch gene was well documented during his five-year tenure in Chapel Hill, it was about showcasing his adaptability to NBA pace and spacing. Drafted in the second round by the San Antonio Spurs, Davis wasted no time making his presence felt. In his first two games, he averaged 18.5 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals, commanding the floor with a veteran’s poise and a shotmaker’s flair.
> “He’s got that Tar Heel toughness,” Spurs assistant coach Mitch Jenkins said. “You can see he’s battle-tested. Every bucket looks like it’s born from March.”
But it was Armando Bacot, the 6’11” bruising big man signed as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Pelicans, who delivered one of the most dominant Summer League stat lines of the year: 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks in a marquee matchup against the Lakers. Bacot’s rebounding instincts, soft touch around the rim, and high-level motor reminded scouts why he became UNC’s all-time leading rebounder.
“He just lives in the paint,” one anonymous scout commented. “Put him on an NBA floor with shooters around him and he’ll clean glass for 10 years.”
The chemistry between Davis and Bacot—developed over four seasons in Chapel Hill—was still evident. Though on different teams now, their on-court presence mirrored each other in confidence, leadership, and intensity. They dapped each other up postgame, drawing cheers from the crowd and shouts of “TAR!” “HEEL!” from fans in baby blue scattered across the stands.
Their Summer League emergence comes at a time when UNC’s NBA legacy is once again under the microscope. With legends like Michael Jordan, Vince Carter, and more recently, Coby White and Cole Anthony making waves in the league, Davis and Bacot appear next in line to extend the Carolina lineage.
And perhaps more importantly, they are reminders of the culture that bred them—a program that doesn’t just develop players, but molds competitors. Davis’s resilience and Bacot’s consistency were trademarks under Hubert Davis, and they’ve carried those traits into the pros.
Social media lit up with highlights of Davis’ crossover pull-ups and Bacot’s thunderous put-back dunks. ESPN’s NBA Today featured a full segment titled “Tar Heel Takeover?”—complete with side-by-side breakdowns of their collegiate numbers and Summer League impact.
As the 2025–26 NBA season nears, both players remain on the fringe of final roster decisions—but if Summer League is any indication, they’ve already planted their flags.
From Chapel Hill to Las Vegas, the Carolina blue still runs deep—and now, the rest of the league is starting to feel it.
