WR Mike Evans has made a name for himself as one of the best wide receivers to step onto a football field. Away from it, he is just as likely to be found on a basketball court, sharing his passion for hoops with his family.
Evans, a father of four, has coached his daughter's Amateur Athletic Union basketball team over the past few seasons. During the offseason, he went back and forth between the Bay Area and Texas to coach, QB Brock Purdy told the San Francisco Chronicle.
"I coach them hard," Evans told the Chronicle in June, while acknowledging the challenges that come with coaching a team of 14-year-olds.
Evans knows the game from the players' side. At Ball High School in Galveston, Texas, he played three seasons of varsity basketball and averaged 18.7 points per game as a senior, according to MaxPreps. He only played football his senior year for the Tors before going on to play at Texas A&M.
In an April Instagram video posted by the Galveston County Lady Hornets, a girls' AAU program Evans sponsors, and shared on his personal account, Evans draws up plays, breaks the huddle, and celebrates after one of his players hits a 3-pointer.
The moments capture a different side of the wide receiver, a coach focused on helping young players learn and enjoy the game. Evans told ESPN said he's motivated by the chance to teach the girls life lessons.
"Because I understand what it is like being a kid and just wanting to get them set up for life," Evans said. "And just build that camaraderie, make those memories. Some of the funnest times of my life I was playing AAU basketball."
He has brought that same enthusiasm to Bay Area basketball. On Oct. 7, Evans sat courtside at Chase Center for Game 2 of the Golden State Valkyries playoff series against the Las Vegas Aces. His daughter joined him, along with fellow 49ers wide receivers Deebo Samuel Sr. and Demarcus Robinson.
Evans said he has attended NBA Finals games, but the Valkyries game left a strong impression.
"Probably the best basketball game I've ever been to, honestly," Evans said afterward, thanking the Valkyries organization for taking care of the group.
Less than two weeks later, Evans brought the basketball spirit to Levi's® Stadium. Before the Oct. 19 "Monday Night Football" game against the Washington Commanders, he arrived sporting a black Warriors jersey bearing Steph Curry's No. 30.
Most recently, Evans was back courtside with his daughter at a Golden State Warriors game on Nov. 5. The pair appeared on the big screen, with his daughter just in view.
Whether he's drawing up plays for his daughter's team or taking in the roar of Chase Center, Evans keeps finding ways to pass along his love of the game.
