Rival’s respect runs deep for Davis

Nate Hinton has had a front-row seat to Kendric Davis’ development, having faced the star guard in both college and the G League.

Now preparing for his debut NBL season with the Brisbane Bullets, Hinton knows the Sydney Kings star will be one of the major hurdles standing in the way of his new team’s success.

“Oh man, just even from his college days, he’s a competitor,” Hinton said of Davis, after the pair first faced off when Hinton represented Houston and Davis played for SMU, before crossing paths again in the G League with Rio Grande Valley and Santa Cruz.

“Some guys, they’re good talent-wise, and some guys are talented with the heart, and he has a major heart.

“Seeing him, his rise from playing against him in college and then playing against him in the G League, to him first going over there to the NBL, and then to see now him, the success that he’s had quickly, it’s definitely just a testament to who he is as a person, as a player and his competitiveness."

Hinton has his own lofty goals for his time with the Bullets, boasting an NBA resume spanning three clubs and 38 appearances.

More recently, he had a strong season in the G League with the Memphis Hustle, averaging 15.9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2.4 steals a game.

“I don’t expect nothing less than just pure competition and pure, pure gladiators in the sport of basketball,” Hinton said of a potential matchup with Davis.

The 27-year-old can’t wait to get started under coach Will Weaver, who he said played a key role in bringing him to the club.

“Just bringing everything that I bring to the table, just the defence, offence, and just being adaptable,” Hinton added.

“I’ve worked extremely hard on my game, and I’m sure everybody has worked extremely hard on their game as well on the team.

“So, everybody just doing their job and doing their part. We don’t have to get outside of ourselves. We don’t have to do anything that’s out of body, but we may have out-of-body experiences. But at the end of the day, we're just trying to win and compete and band the team together.”