The ring ceremony celebrating Miles' second straight men's basketball championship was a bit different than the one the team held last season.

Because of COVID-19 safety protocols, there was no raucous, partisan crowd watching the 2019-20 squad receive their championship rings prior to the season-opening contest. But the spirit of giving and receiving was evident throughout the ceremony, even when some of it was a surprise.

While the players were still marveling at their well-earned hardware, Dr. Dewayne Carter spoke to the gathering about how winning is borne out of more than just the work in the gym, but the desire that athletes have to want to be great. With a connection to Miles that counts his mother and five aunts as alumnae, Dr. Carter said he wants to continue to see Miles do great things.

With that, Carter presented a check to the Golden Bears Foundation in the amount of $50,000. Miles president Bobbie Knight was completely surprised to receive the donation, which was the largest single donation from a private donor ever given to the men's basketball program. It was the second cash donation Carter has made to the program this year after giving $25,000 in the spring.

Head men's basketball coach Fred Watson, who also serves in the role as assistant athletic director, was extremely grateful for Carter's unwavering support of the men's basketball program. He added that cultivating relationships and galvanizing donors to the program are just as important as preparing his teams to win more championships.

"In the midst of one of the worst pandemics in history, we have experienced some serious budget challenges. So it was vitally important that we secured outside funding to subsidize our programs in order to continue providing our coaches with the necessary resources to ensure our student-athletes receive a quality athletic experience," Watson said.   

While receiving the large donation from Carter was quite the surprise at Miles, the unexpected giving did not end there. To conclude the ceremony, Watson presented Carter with his own championship ring. Watson then added that he would like to spread the wealth with the rest of the Golden Bears athletic programs.

"Dr. Carter's generous contribution will not only be used to benefit the men's basketball program, but to support all of our athletic programs and make much needed improvements to our athletic facilities," Watson said.

The Golden Bears open their season on Jan. 2 when they host Covenant. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.