Lucas: Bahamas Impact Happens Immediately

By Adam Lucas

Landing in the Bahamas on Sunday afternoon immediately presented Carolina's basketball players with multiple opportunities. It's easy to be a college student here. There is the beach. There are a variety of water activities. There is the perfect weather.

But the first stop after leaving the airport was a little different. For the second straight Bahamas visit, the Tar Heels visited the Bahamas Children's Emergency Hostel. Last time, it was a class project initiated by Brandon Robinson. Hubert Davis accompanied Robinson on that trip in 2019, and it made a lasting impression.

So when Davis' Tar Heels landed in Nassau, they immediately headed for the same hostel, where they were greeted with high fives as soon as they stepped off the bus.

The hostel is about as far from luxurious high-powered college basketball as you can get. Most of the kids, who range from infants to 12 years old and were placed in the hostel due to a variety of untenable circumstances in their homes, were barefoot (this is also why there are no photos or specific names from the day, because for the kids who live here, privacy is important in a way most of us don't understand). The Tar Heels unloaded several crates of supplies, but the biggest hits were the Tar Heel basketballs and the Carolina t-shirts.

The all-woman staff makes a tiny salary to shepherd the kids. So they, too, were delighted when the Carolina players spent most of the next 90 minutes dashing around the outside playground with the kids. You'd be surprised how many different games you can play with a basketball, as they were utilized for everything from baseball to basketball to football to soccer.

Eric Hoots was an especially big hit, because he brought a pump to inflate the basketballs, which turned out to be a fascinating activity for all the residents. Predictably, they all wanted to try it, but Hoots discovered a foolproof excuse.

"You have to be 40," he told them, "to use the pump."

With that established, everyone adjourned to the playground.

The first couple minutes were a little stilted in the way that new meetings always are. No one knew each other; these kids don't watch college basketball on television or even have much concept of what college basketball might be. So they didn't care that Armando Bacot played in the national championship game or that RJ Davis is a Cousy Award candidate.

What they did care about, though, is that the Tar Heels were fun. So as the groups started mixing, it was about five minutes before players were dashing around the outdoor playground giving piggyback rides.

One group of girls tried to recruit Bacot for their TikTok dance; he suggested that Seth Trimble, RJ Davis and Elliot Cadeau would be a better fit. Indeed, that trio—along with Jalen Washington—is probably going viral in the Bahamas right now after displaying some impressive moves.

The two groups that had looked unfamiliar just a few minutes earlier were now running and playing all over the playground, basketball court, and soccer net. Shooting form instruction was provided by Cormac Ryan. Guidance through the monkey bars was given by Paxson Wojcik.

After one marathon session of running and tossing a basketball back and forth, one kid paused for a break on a picnic table. "Who is the boss?" he asked one Tar Heel.

"That guy," came the answer, and when he pointed out Hubert Davis, the Carolina head coach was sitting happily on a piece of playground equipment, one infant fast asleep on his shoulder and another older child sitting next to him chattering back and forth.

"So," the kid said admiringly, "does he get to use the pump?"

Around that same time, another kid approached. "Piggyback ride!" he said.

"Let them take a break," a staff member said. "You're going to wear them out!"

"Piggyback ride?" said Duwe Farris. He was instantly crouched down, offering up his back. "Let's go!" And soon he was sprinting around the playground with a kid clutched happily on his back.

Some things are universal, from Chapel Hill to Chicago to the smallest, sometimes forgotten corner of the Bahamas. "Who's your favorite basketball player?" Ryan asked one kid.

"Michael Jordan," came the immediate response.

"He went to our school," Ryan said, pointing to his shirt and the new Carolina shirt the kid was wearing. "He went to this place."

"Whoa!" said the impressed kid.

But there are some things even more impressive than Jordan.

As the afternoon was coming to an end—the residents had choir practice at church for which they had to prepare—one nine-year-old sat on a bench. He talked about his new basketball, which had his name written on it. He said he was looking forward to choir practice. He planned to sing loudly. He seemed, against all odds, happy.

"Who is your best friend here?" the kid was asked.

He looked out at the scene, Tar Heels and Bahamas natives looking like lifelong friends. He flashed a wide smile. It had been a good day, for a child who may not always have good days.

"You are," he said.

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Armando Bacot

Elliot Cadeau

RJ Davis

Duwe Farris

Cormac Ryan

Seth Trimble

Jalen Washington

Paxson Wojcik

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