Nov 15, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Drake Powell (9) at the free throw line in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

A Heartwarming Moment for Drake Powell and His Family

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Jeremiah Artacho | Last updated Jul 19, 2025 6:00 AM ET

Drake Powell's dreams of being a player in the NBA are now true. After the Atlanta Hawks' selection of Powell, the making a trade with the Brooklyn Nets, the Pittsboro, North Carolina native will now live far North of where he grew up and played grassroots basketball.

These kinds of moments are hard to come by for any player, and for that matter, any family. But for Powell, along with his loved ones, he has been able to experience firsthand the changes of becoming associated with the NBA.

Could Powell have stayed another year in college and increased his draft stock to potential lottery status in the 2026 NBA Draft? Yes, he absolutely could have and those may have been the results considering the flashes he showed in his one year in Chapel Hill under Hubert Davis.

On the flip side, opportunities of having an NBA Draft stock are not permanent, and for Powell's sake going to this year's edition was a surefire way of turning dreams to reality, and that's exactly what happened.

The Brooklyn Nets shared on X (formerly Twitter) moments of Powell and his family exploring the locker room, the facilities, and taking a picture in front of the skyline:

https://t.co/k2KW6Uvbtb pic.twitter.com/WWDU5aTngu
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) July 18, 2025

As shown in the tweet above, the three pictures of Powell and his mom going back and forth about sitting in the chair are those small moments that make the journey that much more worth it for a young player in his basketball career. It shows the hardwork that payed off and the benefits of Powell betting on himself to take the next step forward rather than staying at the college level.

While Tar Heel fans may have wanted him to stay for another season (which would have helped in a big way), that leaves room for the incoming players to develop their game and potential head to the NBA one day in the future.

Powell is the first player since former Tar Heel Day'Ron Sharpe in the 2021 NBA Draft to get chosen in the first round. Freshman Caleb Wilson seems to be the next Tar Heel to have that same kind of accomplishment as a projected lottery pick in next year's go-around of the event.

For now, Powell's first lick of an NBA game is set in October, as he will get the feel for what is no longer a dream but a job.

Please

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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