Michael Malone recalls Hubert Davis apology after heated moment during UNC practice

Throughout the 2025-26 season, Michael Malone visited North Carolina practice multiple times. But one of those trips led to an apology from then-Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis.

When Malone was in attendance one time, Davis grew visibly frustrated with how things were going and kicked a can. As soon as he did it, he apologized to Malone and called out his team for how it looked with an NBA title-winning coach in attendance.

Malone recalled the story during his introductory press conference on Tuesday as he replaces Davis as Carolina head coach. The former Denver Nuggets coach had high praise for his predecessor and used the story about that practice to show who Davis is as a person.

“There was one practice where he didn’t like how his team was practicing,” Malone recalled. “He kicked the can over and he apologized to me. ‘Coach Malone won a championship and he’s got to watch this?’ He’s a special person.

“Unfortunately, in this business as coaches, this is a part of it. You don’t get a chance to see it through all the time. I look forward to reaching out to Hubert and connecting with him. What he taught me was, treat this place in respect in regards to all those that came before you. Hubert lived that every single day.”

But throughout his time around the UNC program, Malone saw just how passionate Davis was. Malone also told him that in a message following his firing.

“What I loved about when I watched Hubert, and I sent him this message after he got fired, he was so – as Coach [Roy] Williams would say – dadgum passionate about North Carolina,” Malone said. “I respect that. Here’s a guy that was putting everything into this program, into these players.”

How Michael Malone got to UNC practice

Michael Malone said he got to know Davis through North Carolina assistant Pat Sullivan. Following his departure from the Nuggets, Malone planned to spend time in Chapel Hill visiting his daughter Bridget, who plays on the Tar Heels’ women’s volleyball team. He asked if he could attend some practices during his year away from coaching, and Sullivan helped him get in the gym.

But the first time Malone attended, he sat in the stands with the others in attendance. Davis noticed and called him down courtside, which Sullivan told him was rare.

“I had reached out to Sully saying, ‘Listen, I don’t have a job right now. I’m going to be in Chapel Hill quite a bit. I would love to be able to come over to practice and just watch you guys work with your players at practice,'” Malone recalled. “Sully went to Hubert, and the funny story is the first practice I came [to] in this gym, the manager walked me in and he sat me upstairs, which is where everybody sits. Hubert looked up and started yelling at the manager and said, ‘No, no. Down here.’ I didn’t think anything of it, then after practice, Sully grabbed me and he said, ‘Hey, that’s really special. No one is allowed to sit down here.’

“So for Coach Davis to want to allow me to be down there and feel a part of it, to have him invite me to speak to the team after practice, meant the world to me because I know that wasn’t something that happened to a guy that is an ‘outsider.'”