Caleb Wilson '25 Becomes First Golden Bear in NBA; Drafted by Bulls in First Round

As far as HIES athletics are concerned, it's been quite a year. Four Upper School teams earned state championships during the 2025-2026 school year, nine athletes signed with colleges and universities and if all that wasn’t enough, a hundred or so gathered at Taco Mac at the Prado in Sandy Springs on Tuesday, June 23, to watch one of their own enter the professional ranks.

Caleb Wilson '25 was the man of the hour as he became the first Golden Bear ever selected in the NBA Draft, going fourth overall to the Chicago Bulls in the first round.

"We are thrilled for Caleb, the Wilson family, our basketball program and the entire HIES community,” Tony Watkins, HIES athletic director, said. “Caleb is an exceptional basketball player, but what makes us even prouder is the outstanding person he is. We look forward to watching him continue his journey with the Chicago Bulls. The tremendous support from our community has been evident every step of the way—from the crowd that turned out to see him play for UNC at Georgia Tech this winter to the more than 100 supporters who gathered for his draft party last night. Holy Innocents’ is incredibly proud of Caleb and will be cheering him on throughout this exciting next chapter."

Looking at some of Caleb’s many highlights, he spent the last season at North Carolina, where he played in 24 games, scored 23 points against rival Duke and broke the freshman record for most 20-point games in a season. He finished averaging just under 20 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game before breaking his non-shooting hand in midseason, an injury that brought his season to an early close.

At HIES, he rewrote the record books, scoring more than 1,900 points and grabbing more than 1,000 rebounds while leading the Golden Bears to a state championship during the 2024-2025 campaign.

Back in Sandy Springs, the local gathering featured kids, parents, athletes and coaches from every division and sport—from Primary School through Upper School—not to mention administrators, all sharing in the energetic evening.

“Not bad for a small school in Atlanta,” one parent remarked.

“Can you believe this?” added another.

The noise grew louder at Taco Mac as cameras flashed and everyone rose to their feet when Caleb’s name was announced.

The draft took place in Brooklyn, where Caleb and his parents were interviewed following his selection. Sporting the hat of his soon-to-be team, he spoke with gratitude about hard work and believing in yourself throughout his climb.

And if the adrenaline wasn’t already high enough during Caleb’s TV time, it rose even more when television cameras flashed a shot of him in his Golden Bear uniform playing on the HIES floor.

In closing, perhaps the Golden Bear family thought they could let the confetti settle after the spring state championships, regroup, and get ready for a new school year.

Think again.

It’s mid-summer, and this small school in Atlanta still has plenty to celebrate—now at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels.

Go Bears!

— Dunn Neugebauer