Roughly 13 years ago, Bradley Beal and Billy Donovan worked in tandem to guide the Florida Gators to an Elite Eight appearance in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
Beal, the then-freshman who tallied All-SEC First Team honor, and Donovan, the head coach who guided UF to its only two national championships in program history, were as highly regarded of a player-coach pairing as they come during their time in Gainesville.
Now, the two are set to reunite - even if only temporarily - in Arizona on Wednesday night. Beal and the Phoenix Suns are set to play host to Donovan's Chicago Bulls.
Both have endured their share of highs and lows since their respective departures from Gainesville. Beal was selected third overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2012 NBA Draft, while Donovan became the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015.
Beal went on to become a three-time All-Star with the Wizards before being traded to the Suns in 2023. His time in Phoenix, however, has been marred by injuries and inconsistency. Beal has missed 50 games and counting, a number which will likely go up as he's expected to miss Wednesday's contest with a hamstring injury.
As Beal remains on the sidelines, the Suns are still on the outside looking in for the 2025 playoffs. With a record of 32-37, Phoenix is currently one game behind the Dallas Mavericks for the final Western Conference play-in slot.
Meanwhile, Donovan led the Thunder to five consecutive playoff appearances before departing Oklahoma City in 2020. He then signed on to coach the Chicago Bulls, where he has only made one postseason appearance since.
While both Gator greats have seen better days, Wednesday's reunion will be sure to bring back all kinds of positive memories between the pairing - even if they only meet on the sidelines.
Related: Bradley Beal Reveals Why He Didn't Want To Be Traded
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This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 1:30 PM.