Lucas: A Holiday Highlight

By Adam Lucas

It is only on this one day per year—the day Carolina Basketball makes the program's annual holiday shopping trip for underprivileged families in the area—that you will hear the following conversations when the Carolina basketball team gets together:

Jackson Watkins: "I'm having trouble deciding what pants to get."

Justin McKoy: "Size 6X is one inch longer than a 7. It's in the middle between a 6 and a 7. Just keep in mind that if you buy bigger, they'll be able to wear it longer."

McKoy, in case you didn't notice, is a shopping sage. A raised eyebrow at the Cary native resulted in this explanation: "Hey, I have a mom and a sister."

That made him a valuable commodity when players needed advice on Wednesday's shopping trip to purchase gifts for underprivileged families in the community. Carolina Basketball sponsored 40 families through the local Salvation Army, and each player shopped for two children, each of whom had provided a wish list and clothing sizes.

While many other players either paired up or obtained help from the basketball office staffers or managers in attendance, McKoy shopped mostly on his own, which freed him to offer pointers to confused teammates.

It wasn't unusual to walk down the aisles and hear his voice offering this particular bit of insight: "I looked it up for you. A junior size seven is close to the same as women's size four or six."

It can be a challenging assignment. Duwe Farris, for example, simply had video games on his shopping wish list—with no particular console provided. Fortunately, Nerf guns are universal. Puff Johnson racked up on big ticket items at discount prices, including a tricycle, and then threw in a pair of Carolina socks.

As usual, the only obstacle was the spending limit. Each player was supposed to spend $100 on each child, with the money coming from the team's sale of autographed basketballs. But Dawson Garcia became fixated on his child's dream wish list item—a bicycle. That brought his total well over $100.

"It's OK," he said in the checkout line. "I'm going to pay the difference."

The gesture was appreciated, but the program covered the shortfall, and somewhere in the Triangle, a kid is about to receive a bike hand selected for them by a seven-footer.

With most of the basketball office staff on hand to help with selections, there was plenty of assistance for the less savvy shoppers on the team. Leslie Davis, the wife of head coach Hubert Davis and mother of three, also made the trip, and could often be found in the aisles counseling players on the best choices for their list. She also—don't tell Hubert—was the final judge and jury on exceeding the spending limit.

"It's OK," she told one player who will remain nameless who was well above the cap. "Tell them Mrs. Davis said it's OK."

Of course, the true naturals didn't need assistance. McKoy found a buy one pair of shoes, get the second pair at 50 percent off deal and racked up on art supplies that were on sale. His total, including tax, for the two children he was shopping for came in at exactly two dollars under the limit (it should be noted that he was bested only by Rob Landry, who missed the target by only 74 cents).

"What can I say?" McKoy said in the checkout line, where a herd of Tar Heel basketball managers were busy tagging, bagging and loading gifts into a 15-passenger van. "I'm locked in."

Carolina Basketball was fortunate to be able to sponsor 40 families, but there are still dozens left on the Salvation Army's list. If your family is interested in making the holiday a little brighter for local children, please contact them directly.

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Duwe Farris

Dawson Garcia

Puff Johnson

Rob Landry

Justin McKoy

Jackson Watkins

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