ORLANDO, Fla. -- Devontae Cacok’s storybook season drew to a close late Sunday night, but not before the Seahawk great wrapped his arms around the National Basketball Association’s coveted Larry O’Brien Trophy and cast his trademark wide smile.
Cacok, who joined the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA’s bubble in July and played a role in the storied franchise’s 17
th title, became the first UNCW alumni to win an NBA championship. The Lakers dominated the Miami Heat, 106-93, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex inside Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida.
Cacok, UNCW’s all-time rebounding king and fourth all-time scorer, spent the duration of the bubble with the Lakers, appearing in one game for Los Angeles, scoring six points and grabbing five rebounds vs. Sacramento in the restart finale on Aug. 13.
Prior to heading to Orlando,
Cacok caught up with the CAA for an interview in which he reflected on his first season in the NBA G League.
It was a memorable season for Cacok, a Riverdale, Ga., product. He was named to the All-NBA G League First Team and the G League All-Rookie Team after playing 33 games with the South Bay Lakers. He averaged 19.4 points (.659 FG%), 11.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 23.9 minutes and reached double-figures in every game, finishing the season with 27 double-doubles.
Cacok, who made two starts with South Bay, received an NBA call-up with Los Angeles in December and was named to the Western Conference Midseason All-NBA G League Team in February.
The double-double machine scored at least 20 points in 16 games for South Bay, including two 30-point outings, and tallied double-digit rebounds in 27 contests, including eight games with at least 15 caroms.
With Sunday night’s convincing win, Cacok added more rings to his collection after winning Colonial Athletic Association championships with the Seahawks in 2016 and 2017.
During Cacok's storied four-year career with the Seahawks from 2015-19, he was a three-time All-CAA and All-CAA Defensive Team selection as well as a three-time NABC All-District 10 honoree. He appeared in 129 games and ranks first in Seahawk history in career rebounding (1,263 rebounds) and fourth all-time in scoring (1,593 points). He made 97 starts and is one of only three players in the school's history to collect 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds.
Cacok set 21 school records and played in the NABC's Reese's College All-Star Game, 3X3U National Championship and Portsmouth Invitational, topping the 3X3U and Portsmouth events in rebounding.
Cacok became the first player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in three different statistical categories in three separate seasons. He paced all NCAA DI players in field goal percentage in 2016-17 (.800), rebounding in 2017-18 (13.5) and double-doubles in 2018-19 (22).
In his final season with the Seahawks in 2018-19, Cacok recorded 22 double-doubles and scored in double figures 28 times. He also tallied double digits in rebounds in 24 contests en route to averaging a team-best 15.2 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.