WASHINGTON — When RJ Davis isn't holding a basketball, he's holding a small black vlog camera.
It travels with him wherever he goes. Well, most places. Sometimes he forgets it around the house in a rush to get to practice early in the morning.
"It’s kind of hard for me to vlog and play basketball at the same time," the senior guard and ACC Player of the Year joked on Wednesday prior to UNC's 92-67 ACC tournament quarterfinal win over Florida State on Thursday.
But still, Davis takes his trusty camera most places. He's captured videos of the No. 4 UNC men's basketball team on the road in their bus and private jet. He's filmed them at practice and during games. He's given fans an inside look into his pregame rituals, his go-to hype songs and his favorite meals to cook at home. He's created a personal connection with people he hasn't met, and strengthened his connections with those he knows well.
The vlogs have made an impact — both on Davis and his teammates. The four that he has released so far have amassed over 228,000 views on YouTube since Jan. 10. Furthermore, they have boosted the morale and camaraderie of the team, and served as a creative outlet for Davis.
“We love it," graduate guard Cormac Ryan said with a grin. "He’s a creator now, he’s an influencer, he’s got the camera out.”
He didn't always have the camera out, though.
When Davis was a kid, he always loved to watch YouTube videos, in what he dubbed a "weird obsession." Whenever he had a free minute, he would search up "day-in-the-life videos" from his favorite NBA players.
