Knicks Postseason Hero Hubert Davis Named Grand Marshal of NASCAR Playoff Race

Davis, now the head coach at the University of North Carolina, is responsible for two of the most famous free throws in New York Knicks history.

A vital part of New York Knicks postseason history is making his way to the NASCAR Playoffs.

Charlotte Motor Speedway announced that former Knicks first-round pick Hubert Davis will serve as the grand marshal for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series postseason event, the Bank of American Roval 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBC). In his duties, the current head coach of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels' men's basketball program will unofficially commence the playoff race by giving the command to start engines for the 109-lap event. 

If any Knicks was going to partake in NASCAR playoff affairs, Davis is a savvy choice considering his vital, if not unsung, mark in Manhattan postseason history: as the Knicks' first-round pick in the 1992 draft (20th overall), Davis partook in 49 playoff games, including 23 games during the team's run to the Finals in 1994. 

During that trek, Davis famously sank two free throws with just over two seconds remaining in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the defending champion Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden after he was fouled by Scottie Pippen. His makes gave the Knicks an 87-86 victory and a 3-2 series lead before they prevailed in seven games. 

Elsewhere in the Knicks' record books, Davis holds the best single-season three-point percentage amongst qualified shooters in team history, earning a .476 tally during his last season in New York (1995-96). 

In more recent postseason endeavors, Davis is coming off another run to the final round in his first year at the helm in Chapel Hil. His Tar Heels were granted a No. 8 in the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament but they made it all the way to the national title game through a series of upsets. Though they fell to Kansas, Davis became only the 10th first-year head coach to guide his team to the Final Four and his team became just the fourth team seeded eighth or worst to reach the title game. 

The Tar Heels open their 2022-23 season on Nov. 7 against UNC Wilmington. 

Sunday's race started by Davis will tip off the second half of the ten-race NASCAR Cup Series postseason, which will conclude a day before Davis' season opener on Nov. 6 in Phoenix. The visit to Charlotte's half-oval/half-road course will serve as the elimination race among the dozen eligible playoff drivers: barring a victory on Sunday, the bottom four of that group by the end of the weekend will be eliminated from contention. 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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