I’m the son of Bulls coach Billy Donovan – he told me to ‘serve and help others’ while I was coaching in the NBA Summer League

HISTORY came full circle for Billy Donovan III during the Las Vegas Summer League.

A decade after playing for his father, Billy Donovan, in Florida, the former Gator point guard arrived in Sin City to take over the Chicago Bulls – the team where his father serves as head coach in the NBA.

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Donovan III, 32, joined the Bulls organization as a video coordinator two years ago.

He spent the previous campaign as an assistant with the Windy City Bulls before becoming head coach of the G League affiliate this offseason.

A month or so later, the former Gators star stayed away in Las Vegas, coaching the Bulls’ Summer League team as his first major assignment in the new role.

And he checked into UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center, ready to continue forging his own path.

“One thing I learned from my dad is… I think this applies to any profession – you have people who help you get to where you are,” Donovan III told The US Sun during Summer League last month.

“But at the end of the day, you’re the one who has to work and you’re the one who has to do your job.”

That’s not to say Donovan III didn’t seek advice from his father — a two-time NCAA champion and NBA coach since 2015 — before the tournament.

The elder Donovan made a point of emphasizing the importance of helping the young Bulls develop with many of them, including 11th pick Matas Buzelis, earning their first NBA reps in Las Vegas.

“Helping the players, serving the players,” Donovan III said of the guidance he received from the Chicago coach.

“How can you help them make their job easier.

“But it’s more like servant leadership – you’re there to serve and help others.”

After two Summer League games, Donovan III thoroughly enjoyed the experience as he tried to put his players “in positions to be successful,” just as his father emphasized.

He also felt more comfortable in the new role with the reps he put in every day – thanks in large part to his “great team,” he noted.

Chicago beat the Milwaukee Bucks 96-89 to start, before falling 92-82 to the would-be semifinalists Golden State Warriors the next day and eventually leaving Vegas with a 2-3 record.

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Buzelis was successful in his Summer League debut, dropping 28 points on 45.5% shooting – while going 4-of-8 from deep – along with five rebounds and two steals.

Donovan III loved the group’s competitive and selfless spirit, which made up for some execution issues.

As for Buzelis, the Bulls’ Summer League marveled at the G League Ignite alum and the Chicago native’s passion for basketball.

“Sometimes I forget he’s 19,” said the younger Donovan.

“The way he loves the game and the way he plays it is fun to watch. I think he has a bright future.

“I’m excited to be a part of his growth and development because he’s helped me too.

“I’m really excited to see his growth and how he develops.”