Brothers lost their dad unexpectedly. How Clemson basketball helped them heal
There was no roadmap then, and there is no roadmap now.
But Nick and Blake Davidson know this: As they’ve navigated an emotionally draining year, balancing a basketball season with the unexpected death of their father, Kirk, last April, the Clemson program has been and will be in their corner.
“They’ve been very supportive,” Nick Davidson said from Benchmark International Arena, where Clemson will play its opening NCAA Tournament game Friday.
“Amazing teammates, great people and great coaches,” Blake Davidson added.
From a basketball perspective, the brothers’ first season with the Tigers (24-10) has been everything they’d hoped for. But the Davidsons said Clemson’s support of them off the court amid a devastating loss has been just as impactful.
On April 2, Nick Davidson committed to Clemson out of the transfer portal after four seasons at Nevada. Blake, a high school senior, would join him with the Tigers. The following night, April 3, their father Kirk died after a heart attack. He was 53 years old and in good physical shape. The family was blindsided.
Brownell: Clemson wrapping its arms around brothers
Checking their phones was the last thing on Nick and Blake’s minds the morning after they lost their dad. But when they did, they were floored.
Both brothers had dozens of texts and calls from coach Brad Brownell, his assistants and other Clemson basketball and athletics staff members.
The message from Clemson was consistent: We’re so sorry. Take all the time you need right now. But whatever else you need, whenever you need it, we’re here.
“They were great to me,” Nick Davidson said. “They gave me some time to reflect and be with family and handle what I needed to.”
“It was the quickest reminder that you’ve made the right decision when people you don’t even know are reaching out, letting you know they have your back and anything you need,” Blake Davidson added. “It was awesome.”
Amid funeral arrangements and other family commitments, Clemson’s support didn’t change, the brothers said. And once the Davidsons moved cross-country from their home in Southern California, they leaned on the program further.
Early in the season, Nick Davidson recalled in a February radio interview, navigating life and basketball without his dad was “very difficult.” When he needed time to reset, Clemson’s coaches were patient. When he was ready to get back into a routine, they were there for that, too. Blake said he had the same experience.
Clemson coach Brad Brownell described the Davidsons as “unbelievably strong” people. Nick, 24, is averaging 9.1 points and 4.1 rebounds this season and is a key member of Clemson’s rotation as a fifth-year senior. Blake, 19, is making strides of his own during a developmental redshirt season.
“What they’ve had to go through is as hard as anything you can imagine …,” Brownell said on a February episode of his radio show that featured both brothers. “I do think people here have really tried to wrap their arms around these guys — but they’re easy guys to do that for, because they’re such good people.”
Remembering Kirk Davidson
Talking about their dad is still hard, but it’s getting a little easier.
Nick says his dad, a 6-foot-10 center who blessed all three of his sons with similar height, was his greatest basketball influence. Kirk’s general guidance? Always play as hard as you can, and the rest will usually work itself out.
“He played in college, and it’s a big reason why I’ve played the game, too, my whole life,” Nick said with emotion in his voice.
Blake remembers late nights with his dad binge-watching the police drama “Hawaii Five-0,” which the family got into because Kirk often flew from California to Hawaii to work. (After college basketball, he became a highly accomplished businessman in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.)
“We watched the whole thing,” Blake said, laughing. “We probably watched every episode three times. Then we switched to ‘Magnum, P.I.’”
Kirk, they said, was also a devoted family man, so it was fitting that in lieu of flowers, the Davidsons asked people to honor Kirk by donating to GiGi’s Playhouse, which provides “therapeutic, educational and research-driven programs” for people of all ages with Down syndrome, a genetic developmental disability.
Nick and Blake’s cousin, Charlie, has Down syndrome, and their aunt Kim (Charlie’s mother) is the board president of their local GiGi’s Playhouse in Orange County, California. Their families are close, and the Davidson kids (Nick, Blake and Zack, who plays basketball at Northern Arizona) consider Charlie another brother.
“That was the inspiration, because my dad and Charlie were super close,” Nick said.
Is that how Kirk was? Always putting other people first?
“Definitely,” Blake said, smiling.
Nick, a 1,000-point career scorer, is in his last season of college basketball. After Clemson, he hopes to play basketball professionally and eventually transition into a business career. Blake, who redshirted and didn’t appear in a game this season, has four years of college eligibility remaining and might have coaching in his future.
Whatever the Davidsons do, Brownell knows one thing.
“Their dad would be so proud of them and is so proud of them,” he said.
How to watch Clemson’s NCAA basketball game Friday
- Who: No. 8 seed Clemson (24-10) vs. No. 9 seed Iowa (21-12)
- When: 6:50 p.m. Friday
- Where: Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida
- TV: TNT
- Betting line: Iowa by 1.5 points
- Next up: The winner of Clemson-Iowa plays the winner of No. 1 Florida vs. No. 16 Prairie View A&M in a second-round game Sunday (time/TV channel TBA)
This story was originally published March 20, 2026 at 11:04 AM.
