The forward discusses his path to a life in Turkiye and deciding to adopt a cat
Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fenerbahce: 'Be the best Nigel'
Euroleague Video
5 Mins read
Since Nigel Hayes-Davis made his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut in 2019-20 with Zalgiris Kaunas, he always stood out as one of the players with the most potential in the league. In his fifth season in the competition, having also played for FC Barcelona and now defending the jersey of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, his progression has shown no sign of slowing down, even setting a new individual single-game scoring record with 50 points in Round 32 against ALBA Berlin.
Hayes-Davis is a prominent figure who has a strong presence on social media, in addition to being a vegan, an animal lover and, most of all, a basketball player who loves his job and who wants to put it to good use to help others whenever he can.
"[Being a basketball player] is one of two jobs, I think, in the world that everyone would want to do," Hayes-Davis explains. "And the other being a famous musician."
His dedication to the game and to taking care of himself so he can be in top condition have made him become one of the best forwards in the EuroLeague. He also likes to communicate with fans through social media, and that led to a new path in his life: being a cat dad.
Hayes-Davis and his cat, Sly
When a cat gave birth to four kittens in the VIP Room of Ulker Sports and Event Hall, Hayes-Davis made sure to go visit them before every home game, as fans urged him to make it become a good-luck ritual. When the kittens were old enough, Hayes-Davis decided to adopt one of them – Sly.
"Everybody knows I love cats, so it was an opportunity for me to become a pet father for the first time," Hayes-Davis says. "I'm very nervous, I am not going to lie!"
Hayes-Davis and Sly have become inseparable and the cat has even become something of a social media star through the player's Instagram account.
In this video, Hayes-Davis also reflects on the path he has travelled since his days as a high-school player until now in Turkiye. This reflection made him put together a free basketball campus in his high school for children that do not have the same opportunities as other kids.
"All the parents will come to you and tell you, 'Thanks for doing this for my kid,'" Hayes-Davis explains. "It's not to be the best forward in Europe. It's to be the best Nigel."