UNC Legend Roy Williams Checks in on Three NBA Tar Heels

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Matt Giles | Last updated 10/31/23

UNC basketball treasure Roy Williams was in the Spectrum Center on Monday night, watching the visiting Brooklyn Nets (1-2) pick up a 133-121 win over the Charlotte Hornets (1-2).

The 73-year-old Hall of Famer probably figured only one of his former players would get playing time in the contest. Nevertheless, it was a chance to catch up with the three Tar Heels on the combined rosters: Brooklyn's Day'Ron Sharpe and Cam Johnson and Charlotte's Leaky Black.

Leaky Black, a 24-year-old rookie on a two-way contract with the Hornets after going undrafted, did not see any action but was listed as being on the bench. He's yet to make his NBA regular season debut.

Meanwhile, Cam Johnson, who sat out the preseason while recovering from a hamstring injury, has appeared only once for the Nets this season. The 27-year-old is nursing a calf injury he sustained in the season opener last week while tallying 12 points, five boards, three dimes, and two steals in a home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

As for Day'Ron Sharpe, a 2020-21 UNC basketball one-and-done who got drafted at No. 29 overall and is in his third season with the Nets, he is the one former player who had a chance to make Roy Williams proud on the court on Tuesday night.

And Sharpe had his most productive outing of the season. The 21-year-old center played only 10 minutes off the bench in the win but recorded 11 points, eight boards, one assist, and one block while shooting 5-for-8 from the floor and 1-for-3 at the line.

He's averaging 5.7 points and 4.7 rebounds through three games as a reserve big man.

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

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