Born inChicago,[8] Davis grew up in theEnglewood neighborhood[9] and played high school basketball forPerspectives Charter School,[10] where he had attended school since sixth grade.[11] The team plays in the Blue Division of the Chicago Public High School League, which is ignored by the media because of its lower level of competition.[12][13] Perspectives is acharter school that operates as a math and science academy; it has a strong academic reputation, but minimal athletic success.[14][15] The school had no gymnasium and Davis's middle school basketball teams practiced at the nearbySecond Presbyterian Church[13] in Chicago's historicSouth Loop District. In junior high school, he was known as "the little guy who would shootthrees from the corner".[12] He ended his freshman year at a height of 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m).[12] By the beginning of his sophomore year, he had grown another 1 inch (2.5 cm), and he finished the year at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m).[12][16]
Davis began his junior basketball season at 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m),[12][16] saying he felt fortunate to have had such a rapidgrowth spurt without any knee pains.[17] During his junior year, his family considered having him transfer to one of Chicago's basketball powerhouses, butHyde Park Career Academy head coach Donnie Kirksey advised against it, saying "If you're good enough, they'll find you wherever you are".[12] Perspectives finished the season 8–15.[12] Although he remained unnoticed nationally and locally after three seasons of Chicago Public League play,[11][18] he was soon thereafter rated as the number one player in the class of 2011 byScout.com[19] and was listed in theESPNU 100.[20] Attention came when he started playing onTai Streets' Meanstreets (AAU team) traveling system in the spring of his junior year.[12] In late April, Syracuse University offered him a scholarship.[11] That spring, NBA Top 100 Camp Director Dave Telep invited him to the camp based on his dominant first-half performance of the first game of theFort Wayne, Indiana Spiece Fieldhouse event.[21] In August 2010, Davis played in the Nike Global Challenge inHillsboro, Oregon. In the opening game, he had 23 points and 9 rebounds.[22]
Davis verbally committed to Kentucky on August 13, 2010, choosing it overDePaul,Ohio State andSyracuse.[23][24] On August 24, 2010, he became the number one rated player in the national class of 2011 atScout.com.[25]
Before Davis committed to Kentucky, theChicago Sun-Times reported that his father had asked Kentucky for $200,000 in exchange for a commitment from Davis.[26] The report was initially released on Wednesday August 4, 2010, bySun-Times reporter Michael O'Brien.[27] Citing "a reliable source", he posted the following text: "Rumors/sources that have Davis choosing Kentucky are also alleging that the commitment cost $200,000." The sentence was later edited to say "rumors that Davis's commitment is for sale have surfaced since he cut his list of schools down about a month ago." The sentence was removed later that day from theSun-Times' high school sports website following a threat from aUniversity of Kentucky lawyer.[28][29] Anthony Davis Sr. declined to speak to theChicago Tribune on August 4 regarding the allegation; on July 30, however, he denied the allegations to theSun-Times, stating, "We haven't asked anyone for anything, and no one has offered us anything".[28]
The article was reposted on theSun-Times' website and included in the print edition on Friday August 6. O'Brien wrote "sources from three separate universities told the Sun-Times that Davis Sr. asked for money in return for his son's commitment, with the amounts ranging from $125,000 to $150,000."[27][30][31] The University of Kentucky and the Davis family both threatened to sue theSun-Times over the article;[27][32] however, no lawsuits were filed by Kentucky or the Davis family. The Davises and Kentucky claim the restated publication was false.[33] Illinois' one-yearstatute of limitations on libel cases expired before any lawsuits were filed.[13]
Davis signed hisNational Letter of Intent on November 10, 2010.[20][34] He began his senior season on theChicago Sun-Times area 2010 Top 50 list.[35] He was a pre-season first team all-state selection by theSun-Times.[36] By that time, he stood at 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m).[12][16] His team's game againstWhitney M. Young Magnet High School was nationally televised onESPNU.[37] Perspectives finished the season with a 6–19 record.[38] Despite his growth, Davis continued to perform aspects of the role of a guard during the season by bringing the ball up the court and shooting outside shots.[39] For the season, he averaged 32 points, 22 rebounds and 7 blocks.[23]
In the March 30, 2011, McDonald's All-American Game, in front of a hometown crowd at theUnited Center, Davis made his first fivefield goals on his way to a 14-point, 6-rebound, 2-steal and 4-block performance.[52][53] In the April 9 Nike Hoops Summit, Davis led theUSA Basketball team to a 92–80 victory over the world team with a team-high 10 rebounds to go with 16 points and two blocks.[54][55] He was named co-MVP of the April 16 Jordan Brand Classic game after posting 29 points (on 13-for-15 shooting), 11 rebounds and four blocks in a losing effort.[56][57] Davis's 29 points was the second-highest point total in the first 10 years of the Jordan Brand Classic, following onlyLeBron James's 34-point performance.[57]
Davis committed to the Kentucky Wildcats, coached byJohn Calipari. Before his college career began, he was being mentioned as thefirst overall selection in the2012 NBA draft.[58][59][60] In late FebruaryDick Vitale mentioned the possibility that Davis might complete the men's college basketball awards Grand Slam ofNational Player of the Year,Defensive Player of the Year,Freshman of the Year and the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft."[39] Davis wore No. 23, which he had worn since high school, and would continue to wear with the Pelicans. Davis, who came from Chicago, selected the number becauseMichael Jordan had worn it.[61] During the exhibition portion of the season for the 2011–12 Wildcats, Calipari described Davis as follows: "He's 6–10 with a 7–3 wingspan and he can shoot the 3 and dribble the ball and lead the break. . ."[62] Less than a month into the season,ESPN'sAndy Katz described him similarly: "Davis offers a multitude of skills for the Wildcats with his ability to block shots, run the floor, score in the low post and face up to the basket."[63] Since Calipari had coachedMarcus Camby, who was also a tall shot-blocker, Davis drew comparisons to Camby.[63] ESPN selected Davis as a preseason All-American along with teammateTerrence Jones.[64] Some sources, such asBlue Ribbon, selectedConnecticut'sAndre Drummond as the preseason Freshman/Newcomer of the Year ahead of Davis,[65][66] although Davis was the only freshman on the ESPN 10-man preseason team.[67] Davis only received one vote for theAssociated Press preseason All-America team.[68]
"Anthony is a tremendous shot blocker with great size and length. He can make 3-pointers, dribble the ball and he can get up and down the court faster than some of our guards because of his long, looping strides. He's a different player thanMarcus Camby, but he's physically ahead of where Marcus was to start his freshman season."
After most of the pre-conference schedule but before the2011–12 Southeastern Conference men's basketball schedule, Davis's teammate,Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, was mentioned as a possibleSoutheastern Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year.[69] However, after less than a month ofSoutheastern Conference play, Davis was not only being mentioned as conference player of the year, but also National Player of the Year.[70] By mid-February, he was considered a National Player of the Year front-runner with his primary competition coming fromThomas Robinson ofKansas.[71] As the season progressed, he continued to battle Robinson while developing a college level offensive game.[72][73] Davis averaged a double-double and 6.5 blocks in the two games (November 15, 2011, and April 2, 2012) they played against each other, both on neutral courts.[74] Davis led the Wildcats to a perfect 16–0 record in conference play en route to the SEC conference regular season championship.[75] Davis finished the year with averages of 14.2 points per game, 10.4 rebounds per game, 4.7 blocks per game and afield goal percentage of 62.3%.[76] The Wildcats entered the SEC Tournament as heavy favorites and defeatedLSU andFlorida before losing to theVanderbilt Commodores in the championship game.[75] Despite the loss, the Wildcats earned the number one overall seed in the2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.[77] In the Wildcats' six NCAA Tournament games, Davis averaged 15.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per game, and led the team to its eighth NCAA championship.[78][79]
During the 2012 NCAA Tournament, Davis was selected to the NCAA South Regional All-Tournament Team.[93] Then, in the 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournamentfinal four, he posted 18 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks againstLouisville.[94] In the championship game, he had 16 rebounds, 6 blocks, 5 assists, 3 steals and 6 points againstKansas.[74] He won theNCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player and was selected to that All-Tournament team.[95] He was the fourth freshman to win the Most Outstanding Player award.[96]
Davis twice earned SEC Player of the Week (POTW) honors (Week of February 6 and 27, 2012)[102][103] and four times, when he was not Player of the Week, he earned SEC Freshman of the Week (FOTW) honors (November 14, 2011, February 1, 2012, January 16, 2012, and May 3, 2012).[104][105][106][107] He earned his first FOTW honor for debuting with a double-double, including 23 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks and 3 assists againstMarist on November 11, 2011.[104][108] Only Jones andSam Bowie had previously had 20 or more points and 10 or more rebounds in their Kentucky Freshman debut.[109] His second FOTW came in a week in which he averaged 14.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, six blocks, 1.5steals and 1 assist in wins overLamar and fourth-ratedLouisville.[105][110][111] His third FOTW award came when he averaged 16 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2.5 steals and 2 assists in wins atAuburn and atTennessee where both his point totals were game highs.[106][112][113] He earned his fourth FOTW when he averaged 15.5 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks in wins overGeorgia and at Florida.[107][114][115] He earned his first POTW recognition for averaging 20 points, eight rebounds, 7.5 blocks and 2 assists in wins over Tennessee and atSouth Carolina.[102][116][117] For Davis's second POTW he posted a pair ofdouble-doubles to average 20.5 points, 11 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and two steals in wins atMississippi State and over Vanderbilt.[103][118][119] The February 25 win against Vanderbilt clinched the 2011–12 SEC championship for Kentucky as Davis tallied a career-high 28 points as well as 11 rebounds and 5 blocked shots.[120]ESPN'sAndy Katz described his SEC title-clinching performance as the most complete performance of his career.[73]
He was also selected as theSEC Player of the Year, SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a first team All-SEC honoree.[121] The SEC awards were selected by the league's 12 coaches who were not permitted to vote for their own players. Thus, no awards were unanimous.[122]Sporting News also selected him as Freshman and Player of the Year for the SEC.[123] Also, theAssociated Press selected him as Player and Newcomer of the Year for the SEC as well as an All-SEC performer.[124] Following the 2012 SEC tournament, he was selected to the SEC All-Tournament Team.[125]
Records
During the2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Davis blocked more shots per game than most Division I men's teams.[39][126] In the January 17 contest againstArkansas, Davis set the Kentucky men's basketball record for single-season blocked shots surpassingMelvin Turpin andAndre Riddick, who each had 83. In the game, he established a career high with 27 points and added 14 rebounds and 5 blocked shots.[127] On February 4, against South Carolina, Davis established the SEC freshman record with 116 blocks surpassingShaquille O'Neal's total set forLSU.[102] One of the most notable blocks of the season was a block ofJohn Henson with four seconds left to preserve a 73–72 victory when number one Kentucky hosted number fiveNorth Carolina on December 3.[128][129] On March 15, Davis established a Kentucky single-game record for theNCAA Division I men's basketball tournament by blocking 7 againstWestern Kentucky.[130] On March 25, Davis established the SEC single-season blocked shots record in the NCAA Tournament South Regional Championship game victory overBaylor,[93] surpassingJarvis Varnado's total of 169.[131] On March 31, he tiedDeMarcus Cousins with 20 double-doubles for the Kentucky freshman-season record.[132] He also surpassed Cousins' Kentucky freshman rebounds record of 374 with 415 rebounds.[133][134][135] With six blocks in the championship game, he achieved a total of 186 for the season, surpassingHassan Whiteside's 2010 total of 182, to set an NCAA Division I freshman record. This also tied theNCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Game record for blocks established byJoakim Noah in the2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.[136] Starting in the championship game gave him a total of 40 starts for the season, which tied Kentucky's single-season record along with teammateMarquis Teague.[136]
Professional career
New Orleans Hornets / Pelicans (2012–2019)
Rookie year (2012–2013)
Davis declared for the2012 NBA draft alongside the rest of the national championship teamstarting five: fellow freshmen Kidd-Gilchrist and Teague, and sophomores Jones andDoron Lamb.[137] At the 2012NBA Draft Combine, Davis measured at 6 feet 9.25 inches (2.06 m), 221.8 pounds (100.6 kg) and had the second-longestwingspan—7 feet 5.5 inches (2.27 m)—of any player participating.[138] On June 28, theNew Orleans Hornets selected Davis with thefirst overall pick.[139] Davis became the fifth Chicago-area first overall selection followingCazzie Russell (1966),LaRue Martin (1972),Mark Aguirre (1981) andDerrick Rose (2008).[140] On July 24, 2012, Davis signed a three-year $16 million guaranteed contract with the Hornets as prescribed by the NBA's collective bargaining agreement.[141]
Davis in his first season as a Hornet
On November 1, 2012, Davis made his debut against theSan Antonio Spurs. He scored a team high 21 in a losing effort.[142] On November 2, Davis suffered a concussion that sidelined him for two-and-a-half games until November 9.[143][144] In his November 9 return, he posted his first double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds as well as 5 blocks, 2 steals and 2 assists in a victory over theCharlotte Bobcats.[145] On November 17, he totaled 28 points and 11 rebounds against theMilwaukee Bucks.[146] On November 20, Davis was announced to be out of the lineup for "a stress reaction" on his ankle.[147] He was cleared to play on December 11, 2012, after missing 11 games.[148][149] On December 18, he posted a career-high 4 steals to go along with 15 points and a then-career-high 16 rebounds against theGolden State Warriors in his first start since being disabled on November 20.[150]
Davis appeared in the February 15, 2013Rising Stars Challenge during the2013 NBA All-Star Game weekend.[151] Davis was removed from the Hornets' lineup on February 27 following a collision withBrook Lopez the prior night in which he sprained his left shoulder.[152] On March 5, Davis returned to the starting lineup with 17 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocked shots against theOrlando Magic.[153] On March 9, Davis established a career high in rebounds with 18 to go along with 20 points against theMemphis Grizzlies.[154] On March 20, Davis tipped in the game-winning basket over Kevin Garnett against the Boston Celtics with 0.3 seconds remaining.[155] On April 10, Davis suffered a season-ending left kneemedial collateral ligament sprain and bone bruise.[156] He was injured in a collision withMarcus Thornton of theSacramento Kings.[157] He was a 2013NBA All-Rookie First Team selection,[158] and finished second inNBA Rookie of the Year voting (with 306 points) toDamian Lillard (605).[159] His 20 double-doubles was the most in his rookie class.[160]
As a rookie, he proved to be mostly apick-and-roll threat on offense, but was effective in fast break transition and on the offensive boards. He needed to develop his isolation and post-up skills.[161] His rookie skill set was said to resemble a youngLamar Odom, but he added over 10 pounds (4.5 kg) following his rookie season.[162]
After the 2012–13 season, the Hornets renamed themselves the Pelicans.[163] Davis donated $65,000 toward the construction of a basketball court at his alma mater, Perspectives.[164][165] On October 16, 2013, during the preseason of Davis's sophomore year for the2013–14 New Orleans Pelicans, the Pelicans exercised the team's third-year option on Davis's contract.[160]
Davis began the2013–14 NBA season with the newly-renamed Pelicans with a pair of double-doubles, posting 20 points and 12 rebounds againstIndiana on October 30[166] and 26 points and 17 rebounds againstOrlando on November 1.[167] In the Orlando game, Davis became the youngest player in franchise history to record 25 points and 15 rebounds in a game.[167] In the third game of the season againstCharlotte on November 2, Davis established career highs with 6 blocks and 6 steals, while helping New Orleans to its first victory. He also became the first player with 6 blocks, 6 steals and 25 points in a game in the last 20 years and only the fifth with at least 5 blocks, 5 steals and 25 points in that period.[168] For the week, Davis earned anNBA Player of the Week nomination, but lost out toKevin Love.[169] On November 8, against theLos Angeles Lakers, Davis scored a career-high 32 points and tied a career high with 6 blocks, along with 12 rebounds, becoming the youngest player ever to have at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks in an NBA game.[170][171] On November 16, he established a new career high with 8 blocks againstPhiladelphia.[172] He again had 8 blocks on November 20 against theUtah Jazz. With two 8-block games in the Pelicans' first 11 games of the 2013–14 NBA season, Davis matched the number of 8-block games thatRoy Hibbert had at that time in the2012–13 and 2013–14 NBA seasons combined. No other players had two 8-block games as recently.[173] According to ESPN, while drawing acharging foul fromAmar'e Stoudemire, Davis suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left hand in the first quarter against theNew York Knicks on December 1.[174]Yahoo! Sports claims the injury came on an attemptedalley oop.[175] On December 3, the Pelicans announced a four-to-six-week layoff was expected.[176] The injury came the night before he was supposed to play in his hometown of Chicago, marking the second year in a row that he was sidelined for his chance to play in his hometown.[177]
Davis in 2014
Davis returned to the lineup on December 18 against theLos Angeles Clippers with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals.[178] He returned to the starting lineup in the next game with 21 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal againstPortland on December 21. He missed 7 games due to the injury.[179][180] In his seventh consecutive 20-point game (all losses), Davis posted 31 points and 17 rebounds againstGolden State.[181] In the subsequent game on January 20, he helped the Pelicans snap an 8-game losing streak with 27 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks againstMemphis.[182] On January 26, Davis established a new career high with 19 rebounds, in addition to posting 22 points and 7 blocks, in a 100–92 victory over the Orlando Magic.[183] On January 27, Davis was a finalist for Western Conference Player of the Week but lost out toKevin Durant.[184] The January 28 contest against theCleveland Cavaliers featuring the last threefirst overall NBA draft picks (Anthony Bennett, Davis andKyrie Irving), Davis posted 30 points, 8 blocks, 7 rebounds and 3 assists.[185] However, he dislocated his leftindex finger causing him to miss the next game the following night.[186] On January 29, he was named aRising Stars Challenge participant as part of the2014 NBA All-Star Game weekend.[187] On February 7, he was selected to replaceKobe Bryant in the2014 NBA All-Star Game.[188] On February 26, Davis sprained his left shoulder late in the first half against theDallas Mavericks. He did not play in the rest of the game, and his subsequent availability was listed as day-to-day.[189][190][191] Despite his shoulder sprain, Davis matched his career high with 32 points on February 28 against thePhoenix Suns.[192] He was one of six Western Conference Player of the Week nominees on March 10.[193] On March 14, Davis established a career high with 36 points against Portland.[194] On March 16, 2014, (the very next game) Davis scored a career-high 40 points along with a career-high 21 rebounds in a 121–120 overtime win against theBoston Celtics. The performance was the first 40-point, 20-rebound effort of the2013–14 NBA season. Davis was the fourth-youngest player (21 years and 5 days) to achieve 40/20 in a game and the youngest sinceShaquille O'Neal in 1993.[195] In addition to his career game, Davis set a New Orleans' franchise record with six straight games of at least 28 points.Glen Rice set the previous best stretch with five straight in the 1990s. It was also the first 40-point performance by a Pelican/Hornet sinceDavid West on February 26, 2010.[196] Davis was again a finalist for NBA Player of the Week on March 17 and 24.[197][198]
In late March, Davis began suffering a series of injuries. On March 28, Davis injured his left ankle, after four minutes of play against the Jazz.[199] He missed the rest of the game and the next one.[200] Davis returned to the lineup on March 31 againstSacramento.[201] However, on April 2, Davis endured back spasms that caused him to miss the second half against theNuggets.[202] Davis saw limited minutes on April 4 and missed a game on April 9 due to his back.[203] On April 10, the team announced that Davis would miss the remaining four games.[204] Davis finished the season as the NBA leader in blocked shots per game (2.82).[205] Davis was the youngest NBA leading shot blocker at 21 years, 36 days (on April 16,2014).[206] The record was surpassed 10 seasons later byVictor Wembanyama at 20 years, 101 days (on April 14,2024).[207][208] Because of his improved performance this season against his rookie season, Davis finished third in theNBA Most Improved Player Award voting behindLance Stephenson andGoran Dragić.[209]
First All-NBA and playoff appearances (2014–2015)
Davis began the2014–15 NBA season against theOrlando Magic with one of the best season-opening performances of all time: 26 points, 17 rebounds, 9 blocks, 3 steals and 2 assists. It was the first 9-block season-opener sinceNate Thurmond had 12 to open the1974–75 NBA season. The performance also marked the first 26-point/17-rebound/9-block/3-steal effort sinceHakeem Olajuwon during the1989–90 NBA season.[210] On November 8, against theSan Antonio Spurs, he posted 27 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks, including the game-winning basket with 6.6 seconds remaining. It marked the 5th time Davis had 25 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks since the beginning of the prior season. No other player has had multiple such games in that time.[211] On November 22, Davis scored a career-high 43 points along with 14 rebounds against theUtah Jazz.[212] He was a finalist for October/November Western Conference Player of the Month.[213] On December 2, Davis fell one assist and one block short of becoming the youngest NBA player to ever record afive-by-five with a 25-point, 10-rebound, 4-assist, 6-steal, 4-block performance against theOklahoma City Thunder.[214] Davis entered the December 12, 2014, contest against theCleveland Cavaliers with aplayer efficiency rating (PER) of 32.9, which would be the highest in NBA history if maintained for the full season. Davis was injured in the game and left in the first quarter.[215] Davis was sidelined in the subsequent contest.[216] He was a finalist for December Western Conference Player of the Month.[217] On February 6, despite having missed his last 11 three-point shots and having a career 2-for-23 three-point career record, Davis made a game-winning three-pointbuzzer beater againstOklahoma City Thunder as part of a 41-point, 10-rebound double-double. The 41-point performance marked a New Orleans record 13th consecutive 20-point performance, surpassingPete Maravich of the1976–77 New Orleans Jazz.[218]
On February 7, 2015, Davis injured his shoulder after falling off the rim when he received an alley-oop.[219] As a result of the injury, he withdrew from the2015 NBA All-Star Game, and was replaced on the roster byDirk Nowitzki and in the starting lineup byLaMarcus Aldridge.[220][221][222] Davis missed five games in late February and early March to the shoulder sprain.[223] He returned against theDetroit Pistons with a very dominant game performance of 39 points, 13 rebounds and 8 blocks, numbers that onlyHakeem Olajuwon andDwight Howard had achieved in a game in the prior 30 years. Davis also reached 437 career blocks, a franchise record.[224] On March 9, Davis tied his career high with 43 points and added 10 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal in a 114–103 win against theMilwaukee Bucks.[225] On March 15 in a double overtime game against theDenver Nuggets, Davis became the first player in NBA history to tally 36 points, 14 rebounds, 9 blocks and 7 assists in a game since blocks became a statistic in 1973. OnlyDavid Robinson has had at least 30 points, 11 rebounds, 8 blocks and 7 assists in a game.[226] On March 16, Davis earned Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, March 9, through Sunday, March 15 and was a finalist for Western Conference Player of the Month of March.[227][228] In the final game of the regular season, a must-win game that would send the Pelicans to the2015 NBA playoffs, Davis recorded 31 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks in a 108–103 victory over the defending-champion San Antonio Spurs. The playoff berth was Davis's first and the franchise's first since 2011.[229] Davis's season was one of the most impressive in NBA history, finishing the season averaging 24.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.9 blocks, and leading the league inplayer efficiency rating with 30.89.[230] He was a finalist for Western Conference Player of the Month again in April.[231]
Davis during his 59-point, 20-rebound performance against theDetroit Pistons on February 21, 2016. His 59 points set a new franchise record.
On July 9, 2015, Davis signed a five-year, $145 million contract extension with the Pelicans.[240][241] On November 6, he tied his career-high of 43 points in a loss to theAtlanta Hawks.[242] On December 1, he tied a career-high 9 blocked shots in an offensive off night against theMemphis Grizzlies.[243] On December 20, in a win over theDenver Nuggets, Davis scored a single-quarter career-high 19 first quarter points to finish the game with 27.[244] On January 15, Davis converted analley oop dunk fromJrue Holiday with 2 seconds remaining to give New Orleans a 109–107 victory over theCharlotte Hornets.[245] On January 28, Davis was named as a reserve for the2016 NBA All-Star Game.[246] He again came close to a five-by-five with a 28-point, 10-rebound, 4-assist, 4-block, 4-steal effort on February 3 against theSan Antonio Spurs.[247] The following day, he was named to theNBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge lineup.[248]
On February 21, in a win over theDetroit Pistons, Davis scored a franchise-record 59 points and pulled down 20 rebounds. The previous franchise record was 50 points byJamal Mashburn exactly 13 years earlier against theMemphis Grizzlies. Davis joinedShaquille O'Neal andChris Webber as the only NBA players with 50 points and 20 rebounds in a game since 1983.[249] Davis also became just the 20th player in NBA history to score at least 59 points in a game,[250] and became the youngest player in NBA history to score 59 points in a game, and the second youngest (behindBob McAdoo) to record 50 points and 20 rebounds in a game. The 59 points was an NBA-wide season high at the time.[251] The total was not surpassed until the final night of the season whenKobe Bryant posted 60 in his final career game.[252] Davis posted a third 40-point game (40 points and 13 rebounds) on March 9 against theCharlotte Hornets.[253] On March 20, he was ruled out for the rest of the season with a left knee injury and a torn labrum in his left shoulder.[254][255] Upon being deactivated, Davis claimed that he had been playing through left shoulder pain since his rookie season.[256]
All-Star record-breaker (2016–2017)
On October 26, Davis began the season with a 50-point, 16-rebound, 7-steal (career high),[257] 5-assist, 4-block performance against theDenver Nuggets. He was one block short of his first five-by-five. It was the first 50-point, 15-rebound, 5-assist, 5-steal performance in NBA history since steals became an officially recorded statistic in the 1973–74 season.[258] His 50-point night was the second highest scoring output of his career and was the most by any NBA player in a season opener sinceMichael Jordan scored 54 points in 1989.[259] Two days later, he had 45 points and 17 rebounds against theGolden State Warriors, becoming the first back-to-back-game 40-point scorer in Pelicans history (since the New Orleans Hornets creation in 2002).[260] On November 10, he scored 32 points against theMilwaukee Bucks, helping the Pelicans record their first win of the season after starting 0–8.[261] On November 19, Davis posted 38 points and 16 rebounds, including 11 of the Pelicans' final 16 in an overtime win against theCharlotte Hornets. He posted the game-tying score with 18 seconds remaining in regulation.[262] On November 23, he had a 45-point effort in a 117–96 win over theMinnesota Timberwolves; it was the Pelicans' fourth straight win.[263] On December 23, he had 28 points, a career-high 22 rebounds and four blocked shots in a 91–87 win over theMiami Heat.[264] On January 19, Davis was selected as a starter for the2017 NBA All-Star Game, marking his fourth selection and second as a starter.[265] On January 27, he had 16 points and tied a career high with 22 rebounds in a 119–103 win over theSan Antonio Spurs.[266]
On February 2, he was selected as a participant in theNBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge.[267] On February 10, he had 42 points and 13 rebounds in a 122–106 win over the Timberwolves. Davis scored 40 for the sixth time this season, and it was his highest-scoring game since he put up 45 against Minnesota on November 23.[268] On February 19, 2017, playing on his team's home floor for theNBA All-Star Game, Davis notched 52 points and 10 rebounds, breaking Wilt Chamberlain's previous All-Star record high of 42 points, and also won the game's Most Valuable Player award.[269] This record has since been broken byJayson Tatum in2023.[270] On March 11, 2017, Davis scored 46 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in a 125–122 overtime win over theCharlotte Hornets.[271] On March 31, 2017, Davis had 19 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in a 117–89 win over theSacramento Kings. During the game, Davis became the first player in Pelicans history to reach 2,000 points in a season.[272] Following the season, he edged outRudy Gobert as the center on the All-NBA first team.[273] He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the second time.[274]
On November 22, 2017, Davis had 29 points and 11 rebounds in a 107–90 win over theSan Antonio Spurs. He finished the game with 7,938 career points, moving him into second in franchise history ahead ofChris Paul (7,936).[275] He was subsequently named the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from November 20–26. Davis led the Pelicans to a 3–1 week behind averages of 29.5 points on .586 shooting from the floor, 12.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 blocks.[276] Davis missed three games in early December with an adductor strain.[277] On December 27, 2017, he had 33 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks in a 128–113 win over theBrooklyn Nets.[278] On January 14, 2018, Davis scored a season-high 48 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, leading New Orleans back from 19 points down late in the third quarter to a 123–118 overtime victory over theNew York Knicks.[279] He followed that up with a 45-point/16-rebound overtime effort on January 16 to lead the Pelicans past theBoston Celtics 116–113.[280] On January 18, he was named a2018 NBA All-Star Game starter.[281]
On January 28, he had 25 points and 17 rebounds in a 112–103 loss to theLos Angeles Clippers. Davis's rebound total gave him a franchise all-time high of 3,857, eclipsingDavid West's mark of 3,853.[282] On February 2, he passed West as the franchise's all-time leading scorer by posting 43 points in a win against theLos Angeles Clippers giving him a total of 8,702.[283] On February 23, he had 45 points, 17 rebounds, five blocked shots and five steals in a 124–123 overtime win over theMiami Heat. He hit a 3-pointer during the game, giving him a career-best 41 3-pointers in a single season.[284] Three days later, he recorded a season-high 53 points, 18 rebounds and five blocked shots in a 125–116 win over thePhoenix Suns.[285] In the game he made a franchise record 21 free throws.[286] On March 6, he scored 41 points despite a rib contusion in helping the Pelicans defeat the Clippers 121–116. He also tied his career high with four 3-pointers and had 13 rebounds.[287] Five days later, on his 25th birthday, Davis recorded his first careertriple-double with 25 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 10 blocks in a 116–99 loss to theUtah Jazz. His 10 blocks in a game set a franchise record and he tied his own franchise mark with six blocks in one half.[288] Davis earnedNBA Player of the Month for both the Month of February 2018 on March 1 and for the March/April time period on April 11.[289][290] In the Pelicans' regular season finale on April 11, Davis had 22 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks and three steals in a 122–98 win over the Spurs.[291]
In Game 1 of the Pelicans' first-round playoff series against thePortland Trail Blazers, Davis had 35 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and two steals in a 97–95 win. It was the Pelicans' first postseason win since 2011 and the first of Davis's six-year career.[292] In Game 4, Davis scored 33 of his franchise playoff-record 47 points in the second half, as the Pelicans completed a first-round sweep of the Trail Blazers with a 131–123 victory.[293] In Game 3 of the Pelicans' second-round series against theGolden State Warriors, Davis recorded 33 points, 18 rebounds and four steals, as the Pelicans defeated the Warriors 119–100 to trim Golden State's series lead to 2–1.[294] The Pelicans went on to lose the series in five games, with Davis recording 34 points, 19 rebounds and four blocks in a 113–104 loss in Game 5.[295] At the end of the season, he finished 3rd in theNBA Most Valuable Player Award voting and 3rd in theNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award voting.[296] Following the season, he earned his firstNBA All-Defensive First Team and his thirdAll-NBA First Team selections.[297][298][299]
Requesting a trade (2018–2019)
In the Pelicans' season opener on October 17, Davis had 32 points, 16 rebounds and a career-high eight assists to go with three blocks and three steals in a 131–112 win over theHouston Rockets.[300] On November 7, he had 32 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks in a 107–98 win over theChicago Bulls.[301] On November 12, he had 25 points and a season-high 20 rebounds in a 126–110 win over theToronto Raptors. It was the fifth 20-point, 20-rebound game of Davis's career.[302] On November 16, he scored a season-high 43 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in a 129–124 win over theNew York Knicks.[303] A day later, he recorded 40 points, eight rebounds and a career high-tying eight assists in a 125–115 win over theDenver Nuggets.[304] On November 21, Davis missed the third of three free throws with 2.5 seconds left, as the Pelicans lost 121–120 to thePhiladelphia 76ers. He finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds and reached 10,000 career points with a dunk late in the first half.[305] He became the eighth-youngest player to reach the milestone at the age of 25 years and 255 days.[306] Davis also recorded 5 steals, 5 blocks and 6 assists to achieve a five-by-five.[307] On December 5, he scored 27 points to go with a career-high nine assists, five blocks and four rebounds (nine below his average) in a 132–106 win over theDallas Mavericks.[308] On December 12, he had 44 points and 18 rebounds in a 118–114 win over theOklahoma City Thunder.[309] On December 28, he hit a go-ahead, fall-away jumper with 43.9 seconds left and scored a season-high 48 points to lift the Pelicans to a 114–112 win over the Mavericks.[310] On January 2, 2019, Davis posted a career-high and franchise-record 26 rebounds along with 34 points against theBrooklyn Nets.[311][312] On January 14, he had 46 points and 16 rebounds in a 121–117 win over theLos Angeles Clippers.[313] On January 19, he was ruled out for one to two weeks with a left index finger sprain, an injury sustained the previous night against thePortland Trail Blazers.[314]
On January 28, Davis informed the Pelicans that he would not sign a contract extension in the coming off-season, and requested a trade. He was eligible to become a free agent in the summer of 2020.[315][316] A day later, the NBA fined him $50,000 for making his request public.[317] Davis recovered from his injury and was available to play, but the Pelicans said they would hold him out until after the league trade deadline on February 7.[318] After the deadline passed without a trade, the team announced that Davis would play the rest of the season; they faced potential fines by the league if they held him out.[319][320] On February 8, he played for first time since his trade request. He had 32 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in 25 minutes before being benched for the entire fourth quarter in a 122–117 win over theMinnesota Timberwolves.[321]
Los Angeles Lakers (2019–2025)
First NBA championship (2019–2020)
In July 2019, the Pelicans traded Davis to theLos Angeles Lakers in exchange forLonzo Ball,Brandon Ingram,Josh Hart and three first-round draft picks, including the Lakers' No. 4 overall selection in the2019 NBA draft.[322][323][324] Davis switched his jersey number to 3 becauseLeBron James already wore No. 23.[325] Although James attempted to relinquish No. 23 to Davis, he was unable to change his number becauseNike refused to allow it.[326] He made his Lakers debut on October 22, 2019, against theLos Angeles Clippers, putting up 25 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in 37 minutes in a 112–102 loss.[327] On October 29, he became the first Laker to put up a 40-point and 20-rebound performance sinceShaquille O'Neal in 2003.[328] Additionally, Davis did this in 30 minutes of play, which has never been done in the history of the NBA.[329] In the game Davis set the NBA record for free throws in a quarter (18) and the Lakers record for free throws in a half (18) and game (26).[330] On November 27, Davis made his return to New Orleans for the first time since the trade, recording 41 points and 9 rebounds in a 114–110 win over the Pelicans.[331] The 41 points set an NBA record for the most points scored by a player in his first game against a former team.[331][332] On December 8, Davis scored a season-high 50 points in a 142–125 victory over theMinnesota Timberwolves.[333] On January 3, 2020, Davis had 46 points and 13 rebounds in a 123–113 win over the Pelicans.[334] On January 5, Davis had 8 of the Lakers' 20 blocks against Detroit. Although 20 was one block shy of the franchise record, the team set an all-time NBA record for block percentage (25.6%) by blocking 20 of 78 shot attempts.[330][335] On January 23, 2020, he wasselected to be afront-court starter for theNBA All-Star Game.[336]
In January 2020, Davis declined the Lakers' offer of a four-year, $146 million max extension, opting to enter free agency, where he could earn a five-year, $202 million max contract in the upcoming summer.[337][338] On August 8, Davis had 42 points and 12 rebounds in a 116–108 win over theUtah Jazz to help the Lakers clinch the No. 1 playoff seed in the Western conference.[339] Davis was the team leader in rebounds (9.3), blocks (2.3, 3rd in the NBA) and steals (1.5) for the season.[330] He played in 62 of 71 games during the regular season and finished as a runner-up in voting for theNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.[340] In Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, Davis hit a game winning 3-pointer against theDenver Nuggets while putting up 31 points and scoring the last 10 points for the Lakers in a 105–103 win for 2–0 lead in the series. It was Davis second career (first in the playoff) game-winningbuzzer beater.[330] They advanced to the2020 NBA Finals, where Davis andLeBron James led the Lakers to a 4–2 win over theMiami Heat for the franchise's 17th championship, tying them with Boston for the most in league history.[341] Davis became the eighth player to achieve thebasketball Triple Crown, and the first player to win an NCAA title, an Olympic gold medal, a FIBA World Cup, and an NBA title,[342][343][344][345] Davis and James were the first teammates to be first teamAll-NBA since 2007.[330]
Injury-plagued seasons (2020–2022)
On December 3, 2020, Davis re-signed with the Lakers on a five-year, $190 million contract that included an early termination option prior to the fifth season in 2024–25.[346][347] For the 2020–21 season, he was sidelined for 30 games from February to April 2021, the longest absence of his career, due to right calf and heel issues.[348] In the opening round of the playoffs, the Lakers were up 2–1 in the series against thePhoenix Suns when Davis suffered a strained left groin in Game 4.[349] He was also sidelined in Game 5, when the Suns took a 3–2 lead. The Lakers were eliminated in six games, despite Davis playing only five minutes in the first quarter of a 113–100 closeout loss in Game 6.[350][351][352]
When James switched his jersey number to 6 at the beginning of the next season, Davis had the opportunity to wear No. 23 again, but chose to stick with his current number, citing his desire to have No. 3retired by the Lakers.[325] On December 17, Davis exited in the third quarter of a 110–92 loss to theMinnesota Timberwolves after suffering an MCL sprain in his left knee.[353] He missed 17 games before returning in late January,[354] and for the first time since 2013 was not selected for the2022 NBA All-Star Game.[355] On February 16, 2022, in a 106–101 win against theUtah Jazz,[356] Davis injured his right ankle and missed 18 games.[340] In the 40 games he played during the season, Davis averaged 23.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.3 blocks in 35.1 minutes of per game, and the Lakers missed the playoffs.[357]
Return from injury and Western Conference Finals (2022–2023)
On November 13, 2022, Davis scored 37 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a 116–103 win over theBrooklyn Nets, to help the Los Angeles Lakers snap a five-game losing streak.[358] In the next game, Davis recorded a then season-high 38 points, 16 rebounds and 4 blocks in a 128–121 win over theDetroit Pistons.[359] On November 22, Davis posted a then-season-high 21 rebounds along with 37 points, 5 steals and 5 blocks in a 115–105 loss against thePhoenix Suns. He became the first player since the1973–74 season (when blocks and steals became an official stat) to record 35-plus points, 20-plus boards, 5-plus steals and 5-plus blocks in a game. It was his fourth consecutive game with 30-plus points and 15-plus rebounds. Davis also became just the third Laker in franchise history to record 30-plus points and 15-plus rebounds in four consecutive games, joiningElgin Baylor (had seven such streaks) andShaquille O'Neal (November 19–26, 1999).[360][361]
On December 2, Davis scored a then season-high 44 points, along with 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks in a 133–129 victory over theMilwaukee Bucks.[362] On December 4, Davis scored a season-high 55 points along with 17 rebounds and three blocks in a 130–119 win over theWashington Wizards. He joinedKevin McHale as only the second player in NBA history to put up at least 55 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks in a game since blocks became an official stat in the 1973–74 season. Davis became only the fourth player to score at least 99 points in a two-game span while shooting at least 70% from the field; Elgin Baylor had three of those streaks,Wilt Chamberlain had two andDavid Thompson had one. He also became the first Laker with back-to-back 40-point games sinceKobe Bryant in March 2013.[363][364] On December 5, Davis was named the NBA Western ConferencePlayer of the Week for Week 7 (November 28 – December 4), his eighth career NBA Player of the Week award and first with the Lakers. He led the Lakers to 3–1 week with averages of 37.8 points, 13.0 rebounds and 3.25 blocks.[365]
On January 25, 2023, Davis returned after missing the previous twenty games with a right foot injury. He posted 21 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in 26 minutes off the bench in a 113–104 win over theSan Antonio Spurs.[366] On February 26, he led the Lakers to a 111–108 come-from-behind victory over theDallas Mavericks with 30 points and 15 rebounds.[367] It was the biggest comeback of the season at that time, and the Lakers' biggest comeback in franchise history since 2002.[368] On March 5, Davis recorded 39 points, eight rebounds and six assists in an 113–105 win over the reigning champions theGolden State Warriors.[369] On March 7, Davis put up 30 points and a season-high 22 rebounds in a 112–103 win over theMemphis Grizzlies. He also became the first Laker to drop multiple games with at least 30 points and 20 rebounds in a season since Shaquille O'Neal in2003–04 season.[370] On April 3, Davis was named NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for Week 20 (March 27 – April 2). Davis averaged 38.7 points (.652 FG%, .806 FT%), 11.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.0 blocks in three games, as the Lakers finished the week 3–0 with road victories over Chicago, Minnesota and Houston.[371] He also earned NBA Western Conference Player of the Month for March/April on April 11, 2023.[372]
In Game 1 of the Lakers' first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies, Davis recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, three steals and a playoff career-high seven blocks in a 128–112 win.[373] In Game 3 of the Lakers' first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies, Davis put up 31 points, 17 rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks in a 111–101 win.[374] In Game 1 of the Lakers' second-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, Davis posted 30 points, a playoff career-high 23 rebounds, five assists and four blocks in a 117–112 win. He joinedTim Duncan as the only players in NBA history to put up at least 30 points, 20 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in a playoff game.[375] In Game 1 of theWestern Conference Finals, Davis recorded 40 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in a 132–126 loss against theDenver Nuggets.[376] The Lakers ultimately lost the series to theeventual NBA champion Nuggets in a four-game sweep.[377] During the 2023 playoffs, Davis became the third Lakers player with 50 blocks in a single postseason, behind only Shaquille O'Neal andKareem Abdul-Jabbar.[378]
NBA Cup champion and final seasons with the Lakers (2023–2025)
On August 4, 2023, Davis signed a three-year, $186 million contract extension with theLos Angeles Lakers.[379] On December 10, 2023, Davis won the inaugural NBA Cup with the Lakers after winning the2023 NBA In-Season Tournament. Davis had 41 points on 16-for-24 shooting, 20 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks against theIndiana Pacers in thechampionship game. Davis was recognized as a member of the All-Tournament team.[380][381] On January 9, 2024, he scored 20 of his season-high 41 points in the fourth quarter on 13-of-17 shooting, 2-of-2 from three, 13-of-14 from the free throw line along with eleven rebounds and six assists in a 132–131 win over theToronto Raptors.[382] On January 13, Davis recorded his second career triple-double with 15 points, 15 rebounds, a career-high 11 assists and four blocks in a 132–125 loss against theUtah Jazz.[383]
On February 1, Davis was named as reserve for the2024 NBA All-Star Game, his ninth selection.[384] On February 5, Davis put up his third career triple-double with 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 124–118 win over theCharlotte Hornets. He also became the first player in Lakers franchise history to put up at least 25 points on 75% shooting, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game.[385] On February 29, Davis posted 40 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in a 134–131 overtime win over theWashington Wizards.[386] On March 10, Davis logged 27 points, a season-high 25 rebounds, a career-high seven steals, five assists, and three blocks in a 120–109 victory against theMinnesota Timberwolves; he became the first player in NBA history to record 25+ points, 25+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and 5+ steals in a single game.[387][388] On March 16, he suffered an eye contusion in a game against the Golden State Warriors.[389] The Lakers lost the game 128–121.[390] On March 26, Davis recorded 34 points, 23 rebounds, two assists, two steals and four blocks, playing a career-high 52 minutes in a 128–124 double overtime win over theMilwaukee Bucks.[391][392] In Game 4 of the Lakers'first round playoffs series against theDenver Nuggets, Davis posted 25 points, 23 rebounds, and 6 assists in a 119–108 win. The Lakers would go on to lose to the Nuggets in five games despite strong play from Davis.[393]
In the Lakers' season opener on October 22, Davis logged 36 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in a 110–103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He had a perfect fourth quarter where he scored 11 points without missing a field goal attempt. Davis posted his 15th game as a Laker with 35+ points and 15+ rebounds – tyingWilt Chamberlain for the fourth-most in team history. The Lakers are 13–2 in those games.[394][395] On October 25, Davis scored 35 points in a 123–116 victory against thePhoenix Suns. He became the 3rd Lakers player to make consecutive 35-point games during his first two season games, afterJerry West andElgin Baylor.[396] On November 15, Davis scored a season-high 40 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, including drilling two pivotal 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of a 120–115 win over theSan Antonio Spurs.[397] On December 6, Davis recorded 38 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists in a 134–132 overtime loss against theAtlanta Hawks.[398] On December 16, Davis tied his season-high with 40 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in a 116–110 win over theMemphis Grizzlies.[399] On January 27, 2025, Davis opened the game against theCharlotte Hornets with 21 points and 11 rebounds in the first quarter, on his way to a 42 point, 23 rebound win.[400][401] Ahead of the league's February trade deadline, he renewed calls for the Lakers to acquire a center, freeing him to play his preferred power forward position.[402][403] On January 30, Davis was named as reserve for the2025 NBA All-Star Game, his tenth selection.[404]
On February 2, 2025, Davis was traded, alongsideMax Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, to theDallas Mavericks in exchange forLuka Dončić,Maxi Kleber, andMarkieff Morris. The Mavericks additionally traded a 2025 second round pick to theUtah Jazz, who also acquiredJalen Hood-Schifino and a 2025 second-round pick from the Lakers.[405] The trade was regarded as one of the most significant and unexpected in NBA history, marking the first time two reigning All-NBA players were traded for each other midseason.[406][407][408]
On February 8, Davis made his Mavericks debut, putting up 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks in a 116–105 win over theHouston Rockets. He also joined Dončić andMichael Finley as the only players to put up at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a half in Mavericks franchise history.[409] Davis strained his leftadductor in the game, however, which analysts expected to sideline him for multiple weeks.[410] On March 17, Davis was assigned to theTexas Legends.[411] After missing 18 games, Davis returned from injury on March 24 in a 120–101 win over the Brooklyn Nets.[412] He hit a game-winning shot against the Atlanta Hawks on April 2, returning late after suffering an eye injury earlier in the game. Davis finished the game with 34 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks. He also joinedDaniel Gafford as the only players in franchise history to record a game with at least 30 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks.[413] On April 11, Davis recorded his fourth career triple-double with 23 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists and a season-high 7 blocks in a 124–102 win over theToronto Raptors. He became the first player in NBA history to post 20+ points, 10+ rebounds, 10+ assists and 5+ blocks in under 31 minutes.[414][415] Despite Davis delivering a 40-point, 9-rebound performance in the Play-In Tournament game against theMemphis Grizzlies, the Mavericks were eliminated from playoff contention with a 120–106 loss.[416]
2025–26 season
On July 8, 2025, Davis underwent surgery to repair adetached retina in his right eye.[417] On October 1, it was announced that Davis would need to wear protectivegoggles for the remainder of his career.[418]
Davis fields a question fromMatt Winer at the 2014 World Basketball Festival with Team USA.
On May 2, 2012, following a rash of injuries to players who had been on the 20-manTeam USA basketball roster in January (notably centerDwight Howard), Davis was named as one of the finalists for the2012 Olympic basketball team. Davis, along withGreg Monroe, was under consideration to fill the vacancy at center resulting from Howard's injury. Davis would be the first American player sinceEmeka Okafor (2004) to have competed in the Olympics without any prior NBA experience.[429] By the beginning of July, he was one of six players (along withBlake Griffin,James Harden,Rudy Gay,Andre Iguodala andEric Gordon) competing for the final three roster spots, according toUSA Basketball directorJerry Colangelo.[430]Tyson Chandler,Kevin Love, Griffin and Davis were the only true post players among the final 15.[430] It was reported that Davis "suffered a severely sprained ankle in a workout" on June 30 and "almost assuredly [would] bypass a chance to play for Team USA [that] summer in the London Olympics."[431] On July 12, 2012, however, he was selected for the Olympic team after Griffin suffered an injury to the same knee he injured in the2012 NBA playoffs, making him the only college player on the team.[432] The team went undefeated in London and won the gold medal match overSpain.[433]
Davis was also a member of the2014 national team that won the gold medal in the2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup over Serbia on September 14. He averaged 12.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in 9 games played, while shooting 54.9% from the field.[434][435][436] On April 15, 2024, Davis was named to the2024 U.S. Olympic team, returning to the national team after a 10-year gap.[437] He helped Team USA win the gold medal, and in six games, he averaged 8.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 steals and a team-high 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 62.5% from the field.[438]
Davis is the son of Anthony Davis Sr.[28] Davis Sr. is 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m), and his mother, Erainer, is 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m).[8][440] He has a twin sister, Antoinette and an older sister, Lesha who played basketball atDaley College.[13][440] He has cousins named Jarvis, Marshaun and Keith Chamberlain. Keith has played professional basketball in Germany and Latvia and their father, Keith Sr., served as Davis's elementary school athletic director.[441]
Davis married Marlen Polanco on September 18, 2021. They have three children together.[442]
^abcPhillips, Scott (April 29, 2010)."Perspectives' Davis getting noticed; At 6–10, Davis getting noticed at Perspectives".Chicago Sun-Times. p. 51. Archived fromthe original on May 2, 2010.In basketball -crazy Chicago, it's nearly impossible for a potential big-time prospect to go unnoticed the first three years of high school. But by playing for Perspectives in the Public League's Blue-West division, and not playing club ball since eighth grade, 6–10 junior Anthony Davis has remained an unknown. Undiscovered by the litany of talent evaluators and college coaches who frequent Public League gyms, Davis is playing with Mean Streets and has quickly gained recognition on the club circuit. Syracuse offered Davis a scholarship this week and Bucknell, Cleveland State, DePaul and Xavier also have shown interest. In addition, Memphis stopped by Perspectives last week to meet Davis. . .Even with all the attention Davis has received, he will stay at Perspectives for his senior season. 'I've been [at Perspectives] since sixth grade,' Davis said. 'I stayed there for the academic program. I didn't want to leave my team.'
^abSkrbina, Paul (August 6, 2010)."Sun-Times stands by Kentucky basketball story".Chicago Tribune.Archived from the original on June 6, 2013. RetrievedMay 19, 2013.An attorney representing the University of Kentucky said Thursday the Chicago Sun-Times has yet to respond to his letter of complaint about a story on potential Wildcats recruit Anthony Davis Jr.
^O'Brien, Michael (November 22, 2010). "Cut through the crop in one stops".Chicago Sun-Times. p. 54.Which players are on the preseason All-State team? Ryan Boatright, East Aurora; Blackshear, Morgan Park; Mycheal Henry, Orr; Jabari Parker, Simeon; Davis, Perspectives MSA.
^O'Brien, Michael (December 15, 2010)."IHSA asks Young to explain out-of-district practice".Chicago Sun-Times. abbreviated online version entitled "IHSA investigating Young practice". p. 56. Archived fromthe original on December 18, 2010. RetrievedMarch 3, 2012.Young beat North Lawndale in a home game on Tuesday night and will face Kentucky recruit Anthony Davis and Perspectives-MSA at Chicago State on Thursday. That game will be televised on ESPNU.
^Baumgartner, Blake (March 3, 2011). "No. 1 Benet hits 11 three-pointers in win".Chicago Sun-Times. p. 52.Darnell Fishback scored 19 points to go along with seven rebounds, and the host Jaguars overcame a big game by Kentucky recruit Anthony Davis to defeat the Wolves in a regional semifinal. Davis finished with 30 points, 17 rebounds, six blocks and five steals for MSA (6–19).
^Travis, Clyde (February 4, 2011). "Here they are – best of the best".Chicago Sun-Times. p. 50.This year's group has a player some regard as the best in the state (Morgan Park's Wayne Blackshear), another rated above him nationally based on his enormous potential (Perspectives-MSA's Anthony Davis), the state's top-ranked junior (Simeon's Steve Taylor), and the top-ranked sophomore in the state (Simeon's Jabari Parker). . .Davis, a Kentucky recruit, is a huge talent, averaging 32 points and 22 rebounds. . .Sun-Times All-Public League first-team selections for 2010–11 include Wayne Blackshear (above), Mycheal Henry (top right), Anthony Davis, Jabari Parker and DJ Tolliver.
^"This & that: High school news and notes".Chicago Sun-Times. Online version title: "Sun-Times preps notebook". April 1, 2011. p. 50. Archived fromthe original on November 30, 2011. RetrievedMarch 3, 2012.First-team picks included Morgan Park's Wayne Blackshear, East Aurora's Ryan Boatright, Benet's Dave Sobolewski and Frank Kaminsky, Glenbard East's Johnny Hill, Mount Carmel's Tracy Abrams, De La Salle's Mike Shaw, St. Ignatius' Nnanna Egwu, Young's Sam Thompson, Simeon's Jabari Parker, Perspectives-MSA's Anthony Davis and Orr's Mycheal Henry.
^Buha, Jovan (January 24, 2025)."LeBron James, Anthony Davis ramp up off-court statements with on-court rout of Celtics".The Athletic. RetrievedFebruary 2, 2025.It's no secret that Davis has preferred to play power forward more than center, or that James and Davis want the Lakers to take bigger swings with their assets and improve the roster significantly.
^abRamsey, Guy (July 19, 2011)."With so many focused on his future, Anthony Davis all about the present".CoachCal.com.John Calipari. Archived fromthe original on January 26, 2012. RetrievedApril 1, 2012....he is, by far, the tallest member of his family. Davis' twin sister, Antoinnete, is 5-foot-8 and his older sister, Lesha, [sic] is a 5–10 basketball player at Daley College. His parents are tall, his father is 6–3 and his mother is 6–1...
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