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Anthony Marshon Davis Jr. (born March 11, 1993), nicknamed "AD" and "the Brow", is an American professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player for the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
of the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA). Davis, a
power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers and are typi ...
and center, is a ten-time
NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Traditionally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
and has been named to five
All-NBA Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...
s (including four first-team selections) and five
NBA All-Defensive Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in tw ...
s (including three first-team selections). In 2021, he was named to the
NBA 75th Anniversary Team The NBA 75th Anniversary Team, also referred to as the NBA 75, was chosen in 2021 to honor the 75th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the fourth and most recent anniversary team in the league. S ...
. He is regarded by some as one of the greatest
power forwards Power may refer to: Common meanings * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power, a type of energy * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events Mat ...
of all time. Davis played one season of
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
for the
Kentucky Wildcats The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30, ...
, when he was first team All-American and the Consensus National Player of the Year. He also won the
USBWA National Freshman of the Year The USBWA National Freshman of the Year, with the men's and women's versions respectively named the Wayman Tisdale Award and Tamika Catchings Award, is an annual basketball award given to college basketball's most outstanding freshman male player ...
,
NABC Defensive Player of the Year The NABC Defensive Player of the Year is a college basketball award given annually by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) to recognize the top men's defensive player in NCAA Division I competition. It has been given since 1987 a ...
and the
Pete Newell Big Man Award The Pete Newell Big Man Award has been awarded by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) since 2000. It is presented to the best low-post player each season. The award is named after Pete Newell, the coach who ran the Pete Newell ...
. Davis led the NCAA in blocks and set
Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...
and
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...
freshman single-season
blocked shot In basketball, a block or blocked shot occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player to prevent a score. The defender is not allowed to make contact with the offensive player's hand (unless the def ...
s records. He led Kentucky to a
national championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...
and was named the most outstanding player of the
2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2011-12 ...
. Davis left college for the NBA after one season and was drafted as the first overall pick in the
2012 NBA draft The 2012 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2012, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (2300 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball A ...
by the
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, and was selected that summer to play in the 2012 Olympics. After his rookie season, he was named to the
NBA All-Rookie First Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for play ...
. The next season, he became an All-Star for the first time and led the NBA in blocked shots per game. In 2017, he was named the
NBA All-Star Game MVP The NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the player(s) voted best of the annual All-Star Game. The award was established in 1953 when NBA officials decided to ...
after setting then-record 52 points in the
2017 NBA All-Star Game The 2017 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 19, 2017, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2016–17 season. It was the 66th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at the Smoo ...
. Davis was traded to the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
in 2019, where he won an
NBA championship The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
in
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
and the
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of the NBA Cup in 2023. In February 2025, he was traded to the Mavericks in exchange for Luka Dončić, in what was regarded as one of the most unexpected trades in American sports history. Davis has won gold medals with the United States national team on their 2012 Olympic team, 2014 World Cup team and 2024 Olympic team. He is also one of only eight players to achieve the
basketball Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Basketball *Triple Crown (American basketball) * Triple Crown (European basketball) Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trop ...
.


Early life

Born in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, Davis grew up in the Englewood neighborhood and played high school basketball for Perspectives Charter School, where he had attended school since sixth grade. 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. Perspectives is a
charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...
that operates as a math and science academy; it has a strong academic reputation, but minimal athletic success. The school had no gymnasium and Davis's middle school basketball teams practiced at the nearby Second Presbyterian Church in Chicago's historic South Loop District. In junior high school, he was known as "the little guy who would shoot threes from the corner". He ended his freshman year at a height of . By the beginning of his sophomore year, he had grown another , and he finished the year at . Davis began his junior basketball season at , saying he felt fortunate to have had such a rapid
growth spurt Human height or stature is the distance from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head in a human body, standing erect. It is measured using a stadiometer, in centimetres when using the metric system or SI system, or feet and inches when u ...
without any knee pains. During his junior year, his family considered having him transfer to one of Chicago's basketball powerhouses, but
Hyde Park Career Academy Hyde Park Academy High School (formerly known as Hyde Park High School and Hyde Park Career Academy) is a public four-year high school located in the Woodlawn neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1863, H ...
head coach Donnie Kirksey advised against it, saying "If you're good enough, they'll find you wherever you are". Perspectives finished the season 8–15. Although he remained unnoticed nationally and locally after three seasons of Chicago Public League play, he was soon thereafter rated as the number one player in the class of 2011 by Scout.com and was listed in the
ESPNU ESPNU is an American multinational digital cable and satellite sports television channel owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between the Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the remain ...
100. Attention came when he started playing on
Tai Streets Tai Lamar Streets (born April 20, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected with the second pick of the sixth round of the 1999 NFL draft by the San F ...
' Meanstreets (AAU team) traveling system in the spring of his junior year. In late April, Syracuse University offered him a scholarship. 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 the
Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 census ...
Spiece Fieldhouse event. In August 2010, Davis played in the Nike Global Challenge in
Hillsboro, Oregon Hillsboro ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County, Oregon, Washington County. Situated in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city hosts many High tech, high-te ...
. In the opening game, he had 23 points and 9 rebounds. Davis verbally committed to Kentucky on August 13, 2010, choosing it over DePaul,
Ohio State The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...
and
Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...
. On August 24, 2010, he became the number one rated player in the national class of 2011 at Scout.com. Before Davis committed to Kentucky, the ''
Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
'' reported that his father had asked Kentucky for $200,000 in exchange for a commitment from Davis. The report was initially released on Wednesday August 4, 2010, by ''Sun-Times'' reporter Michael O'Brien. 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 the ''Sun-Times'' high school sports website following a threat from a
University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...
lawyer. Anthony Davis Sr. declined to speak to the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' on August 4 regarding the allegation; on July 30, however, he denied the allegations to the ''Sun-Times'', stating, "We haven't asked anyone for anything, and no one has offered us anything". The article was reposted on the ''Sun-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." The University of Kentucky and the Davis family both threatened to sue the ''Sun-Times'' over the article; however, no lawsuits were filed by Kentucky or the Davis family. The Davises and Kentucky claim the restated publication was false. Illinois' one-year
statute of limitations A statute of limitations, known in civil law systems as a prescriptive period, is a law passed by a legislative body to set the maximum time after an event within which legal proceedings may be initiated. ("Time for commencing proceedings") In ...
on libel cases expired before any lawsuits were filed. Davis signed his
National Letter of Intent The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manag ...
on November 10, 2010. He began his senior season on the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' area 2010 Top 50 list. He was a pre-season first team all-state selection by the ''Sun-Times''. By that time, he stood at . His team's game against Whitney M. Young Magnet High School was nationally televised on
ESPNU ESPNU is an American multinational digital cable and satellite sports television channel owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between the Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the remain ...
. Perspectives finished the season with a 6–19 record. 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. For the season, he averaged 32 points, 22 rebounds and 7 blocks. In high school, Davis earned numerous honors for his basketball abilities, including being named to the 2011
McDonald's All-American Game The McDonald's All-American Game is an American all-star basketball game played each year for boys' and girls' high school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the conclusion of the hi ...
and the 10th annual
Jordan Brand Classic The Jordan Brand Classic is a high school all star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly recruited high school boys and girls in the senior class. In 2015, a girl's game was introduced. Th ...
. He was a first team USA Today All-USA high school basketball team selection. He was a first-team ''Parade'' All-American. He was also a first team All-American selection by ''SLAM Magazine'' (along with Gilchrist, Rivers, Beal, Quincy Miller and Marquis Teague) and ''
Dime Magazine ''Dime Magazine'' is an American basketball magazine that was created by Patrick Cassidy and Josh Gotthelf and began circulation in 2001. The magazine publishes six issues a year for its worldwide readership, as well as a handful of editions of ' ...
'' (along with Gilchrist, Rivers, Beal and Myles Mack). He was a first team selection to the ESPN Rise boys' high school basketball All-American team. In the statewide voting for Illinois Mr. Basketball by coaches and media, he placed fourth. The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' selected him as a Class 3A first team All-State selection. The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' selected him as an all-Public League selection. The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association included him in the Class 3A/4A boys all-state first team. In the March 30, 2011, McDonald's All-American Game, in front of a hometown crowd at the
United Center The United Center is an indoor arena on the Near West Side, Chicago, Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is home to the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL) ...
, Davis made his first five
field goals A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. Consequently, a ...
on his way to a 14-point, 6-rebound, 2-steal and 4-block performance. In the April 9 Nike Hoops Summit, Davis led the
USA Basketball USA Basketball (USAB) is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA, and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States ...
team to a 92–80 victory over the world team with a team-high 10 rebounds to go with 16 points and two blocks. 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. Davis's 29 points was the second-highest point total in the first 10 years of the Jordan Brand Classic, following only
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...
's 34-point performance.


College career

Davis committed to the Kentucky Wildcats, coached by
John Calipari John Vincent Calipari (; born February 10, 1959) is an American basketball coach who is the head coach at the Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball, University of Arkansas. He has been named Naismith College Coach of the Year three times (1996, 2 ...
. Before his college career began, he was being mentioned as the first overall selection in the
2012 NBA draft The 2012 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2012, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (2300 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball A ...
. In late February
Dick Vitale Richard "Dick" John Vitale (; born June 9, 1939), also known as "Dickie V", is an American basketball sportscaster. A former head coach in the college and professional ranks, he is well known for his 41-year tenure as a college basketball broadc ...
mentioned the possibility that Davis might complete the men's college basketball awards Grand Slam of
National Player of the Year National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...
,
Defensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY or DPOTY) is the name of an award given in sports for outstanding defensive play by a single player over the course of a season. Many sports leagues award this type of award. League awards for Defensive Player o ...
, Freshman of the Year and the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft." 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 because
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...
had worn it. 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. . ." Less than a month into the season,
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
's Andy 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." Since Calipari had coached
Marcus Camby Marcus Dion Camby (born March 22, 1974) is an American former professional basketball player who played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named Defensive Player of the Year during the 2006–07 NBA season, leading ...
, who was also a tall shot-blocker, Davis drew comparisons to Camby. ESPN selected Davis as a preseason All-American along with teammate
Terrence Jones Terrence Alexander Jones (born January 9, 1992) is an American professional basketball player who last played for Piratas de Quebradillas of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. High sc ...
. Some sources, such as ''Blue Ribbon'', selected
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
's
Andre Drummond Andre Jamal Drummond (born August 10, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A center, he was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2012 NB ...
as the preseason Freshman/Newcomer of the Year ahead of Davis, although Davis was the only freshman on the ESPN 10-man preseason team. Davis only received one vote for the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
preseason All-America team. After most of the pre-conference schedule but before the 2011–12 Southeastern Conference men's basketball schedule, Davis's teammate, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, was mentioned as a possible
Southeastern Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year The Southeastern Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an award given to the most outstanding player in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The school with the most SEC Player of the Year award winners is Kentucky, with 18 total awards. ...
. However, after less than a month of
Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...
play, Davis was not only being mentioned as conference player of the year, but also National Player of the Year. By mid-February, he was considered a National Player of the Year front-runner with his primary competition coming from Thomas Robinson of
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
. As the season progressed, he continued to battle Robinson while developing a college level offensive game. 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. Davis led the Wildcats to a perfect 16–0 record in conference play en route to the SEC conference regular season championship. Davis finished the year with averages of 14.2 points per game, 10.4 rebounds per game, 4.7 blocks per game and a
field goal percentage Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Although three-point field goal percentage is often calculated separately, three-point field goals are included in the gene ...
of 62.3%. The Wildcats entered the SEC Tournament as heavy favorites and defeated
LSU Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
and
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
before losing to the Vanderbilt Commodores in the championship game. Despite the loss, the Wildcats earned the number one overall seed in the
2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2011-12 ...
. 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.


Honors and awards


National

Davis was named the 2012 ''Sporting News'' Men's College Basketball Player of the Year. On March 19, he won the US Basketball Writers Association's (USBWA) Robertson trophy. The Commonwealth Athletic Club of Kentucky named Davis the
Adolph Rupp Trophy The Adolph F. Rupp Trophy was an annual college basketball award given to the top player in men's NCAA Division I competition. It was awarded between 1972 and 2015. The recipient of the award was selected by an independent panel consisting of nat ...
winner on March 22. CBSSports.com recognized Davis as their national player of the year. On March 30, he became the second freshman (
Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Durant has won two List of NBA champions, NBA champ ...
) to win the
Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year Associated may refer to: *Associated, former name of Avon, Contra Costa County, California *Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto, a school in Canada *Associated Newspapers, former name of DMG Media, a British publishing company See also *Associatio ...
. On March 31, he won the John R. Wooden Award. The following day he won the
Naismith College Player of the Year The Naismith College Player of the Year is "the most prestigious national award presented annually to the men's and women's college basketball players of the year," as chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors. It is named in honor o ...
. He was Kentucky's first Naismith winner and the first from the SEC in 42 years (
Pete Maravich Peter Press Maravich ( ; June 22, 1947 – January 5, 1988), known by his nickname Pistol Pete, was an American professional basketball player. He starred in college at Louisiana State University's Tigers basketball team; his father, Press Mar ...
). Davis was named to the 2012 ''
Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
'' All-American first team. He was also named first team All-American by the
United States Basketball Writers Association The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) was founded in 1956 with the urging of National Collegiate Athletic Association director Walter Byers to serve the interests of journalists who cover college basketball. Scholarships The U ...
. On March 20, the
National Association of Basketball Coaches The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of men's college basketball coaches. It was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the men's basketball head coach for the Univ ...
(NABC) chose him as a first team All-American. Davis was a CBSSports.com first team All-American. Davis was named a first team Associated Press All-American, making him a unanimous first team All-American selection. During the 2012 NCAA Tournament, Davis was selected to the NCAA South Regional All-Tournament Team. Then, in the 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
final four In sports, the final four is the last four teams remaining in a playoffs, playoff tournament. Usually the final four compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final (penultimate) round. Of these teams, the two who win in ...
, he posted 18 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks against
Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
. In the championship game, he had 16 rebounds, 6 blocks, 5 assists, 3 steals and 6 points against
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
. He won the
NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player The Most Outstanding Player (MOP) is awarded to one player after the conclusion of the championship game of the NCAA Division I NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, men's and NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, women's basketb ...
and was selected to that All-Tournament team. He was the fourth freshman to win the Most Outstanding Player award. Davis was named the
USBWA National Freshman of the Year The USBWA National Freshman of the Year, with the men's and women's versions respectively named the Wayman Tisdale Award and Tamika Catchings Award, is an annual basketball award given to college basketball's most outstanding freshman male player ...
. He was selected by the USBWA as the Player of the Year for its 10-man 2011–12 Men's All-District IV (Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida) Team. Davis was a first team selection to the NABC Division I All-District 21 team on March 14. On April 1, he was also awarded the
Pete Newell Big Man Award The Pete Newell Big Man Award has been awarded by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) since 2000. It is presented to the best low-post player each season. The award is named after Pete Newell, the coach who ran the Pete Newell ...
and the
NABC Defensive Player of the Year The NABC Defensive Player of the Year is a college basketball award given annually by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) to recognize the top men's defensive player in NCAA Division I competition. It has been given since 1987 a ...
. CollegeInsider.com recognized him with the
Lefty Driesell Award The Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's college basketball defender in NCAA Division I competition. The award was established in 2010 and is named after head coach Lefty Dries ...
as Defensive Player of the Year and the Kyle Macy Award as Freshman of the Year.


Conference

Davis twice earned SEC Player of the Week (POTW) honors (Week of February 6 and 27, 2012) 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). He earned his first FOTW honor for debuting with a double-double, including 23 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks and 3 assists against Marist on November 11, 2011. Only Jones and
Sam Bowie Samuel Paul Bowie (born March 17, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. A national sensation in high school and outstanding collegian and Olympic team member, Bowie's professional promise was undermined by repeated injuries ...
had previously had 20 or more points and 10 or more rebounds in their Kentucky Freshman debut. His second FOTW came in a week in which he averaged 14.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, six blocks, 1.5 steals and 1 assist in wins over Lamar and fourth-rated
Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
. His third FOTW award came when he averaged 16 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2.5 steals and 2 assists in wins at Auburn and at
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
where both his point totals were game highs. He earned his fourth FOTW when he averaged 15.5 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks in wins over
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
and at Florida. He earned his first POTW recognition for averaging 20 points, eight rebounds, 7.5 blocks and 2 assists in wins over Tennessee and at
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
. For Davis's second POTW he posted a pair of
double-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the ter ...
s to average 20.5 points, 11 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and two steals in wins at
Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States. It is classified among "R ...
and over Vanderbilt. 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.
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
's Andy Katz described his SEC title-clinching performance as the most complete performance of his career. He was also selected as the SEC Player of the Year, SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a first team All-SEC honoree. 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. ''Sporting News'' also selected him as Freshman and Player of the Year for the SEC. Also, the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
selected him as Player and Newcomer of the Year for the SEC as well as an All-SEC performer. Following the 2012 SEC tournament, he was selected to the SEC All-Tournament Team.


Records

During the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Davis blocked more shots per game than most Division I men's teams. In the January 17 contest against
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
, Davis set the Kentucky men's basketball record for single-season blocked shots surpassing
Melvin Turpin Melvin Harrison Turpin (December 28, 1960 – July 8, 2010) was an American professional basketball player. He played five seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was an All-American college player at the University of Kentucky, ...
and Andre Riddick, who each had 83. In the game, he established a career high with 27 points and added 14 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. On February 4, against South Carolina, Davis established the SEC freshman record with 116 blocks surpassing
Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...
's total set for
LSU Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
. One of the most notable blocks of the season was a block of John Henson with four seconds left to preserve a 73–72 victory when number one Kentucky hosted number five
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
on December 3. On March 15, Davis established a Kentucky single-game record for the
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as March Madness, or The Big Dance, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion of the NCAA Division I, Di ...
by blocking 7 against
Western Kentucky Western Kentucky is the western portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It generally includes part or all of several more widely recognized regions of the state. ;Always included * The Jackson Purchase, the state's westernmost generally recogniz ...
. On March 25, Davis established the SEC single-season blocked shots record in the NCAA Tournament South Regional Championship game victory over Baylor, surpassing Jarvis Varnado's total of 169. On March 31, he tied
DeMarcus Cousins DeMarcus Amir Cousins (born August 13, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Mets de Guaynabo of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional. Nicknamed "Boogie", he played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats, ...
with 20 double-doubles for the Kentucky freshman-season record. He also surpassed Cousins' Kentucky freshman rebounds record of 374 with 415 rebounds. With six blocks in the championship game, he achieved a total of 186 for the season, surpassing
Hassan Whiteside Hassan Niam Whiteside (born June 13, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for the Marshall Thundering Herd before being selec ...
's 2010 total of 182, to set an NCAA Division I freshman record. This also tied the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Game record for blocks established by Joakim Noah in the
2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The 2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 65 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2005–06 basketball seaso ...
. Starting in the championship game gave him a total of 40 starts for the season, which tied Kentucky's single-season record along with teammate Marquis Teague.


Professional career


New Orleans Hornets / Pelicans (2012–2019)


Rookie year (2012–2013)

Davis declared for the
2012 NBA draft The 2012 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2012, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (2300 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball A ...
alongside the rest of the national championship team starting five: fellow freshmen Kidd-Gilchrist and Teague, and sophomores Jones and Doron Lamb. At the 2012 NBA Draft Combine, Davis measured at , and had the second-longest
wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingsp ...
——of any player participating. On June 28, the
New Orleans Hornets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
selected Davis with the first overall pick. Davis became the fifth Chicago-area first overall selection following Cazzie Russell (1966), LaRue Martin (1972),
Mark Aguirre Mark Anthony Aguirre ( ; born December 10, 1959) is a Mexican-American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Aguirre was chosen as the List of first overall NBA draft picks, first overall pick of th ...
(1981) and
Derrick Rose Derrick Martell Rose (born October 4, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player. He played one year of college basketball for the Memphis Tigers before being drafted first overall by his hometown Chicago Bulls in the 2008 NBA ...
(2008). 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. On November 1, 2012, Davis made his debut against the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. He scored a team high 21 in a losing effort. On November 2, Davis suffered a concussion that sidelined him for two-and-a-half games until November 9. 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 the
Charlotte Bobcats Charlotte most commonly refers to: *Charlotte (given name), a feminine form of the given name Charles ** Princess Charlotte (disambiguation) ** Queen Charlotte (disambiguation) *Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, a city * Charlotte (cake) ...
. On November 17, he totaled 28 points and 11 rebounds against the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
. On November 20, Davis was announced to be out of the lineup for "a stress reaction" on his ankle. He was cleared to play on December 11, 2012, after missing 11 games. On December 18, he posted a career-high 4 steals to go along with 15 points and a then-career-high 16 rebounds against the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
in his first start since being disabled on November 20. Davis appeared in the February 15, 2013 Rising Stars Challenge during the
2013 NBA All-Star Game The 2013 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 17, 2013, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2012–13 season. It was the 62nd edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at Toyota C ...
weekend. Davis was removed from the Hornets' lineup on February 27 following a collision with Brook Lopez the prior night in which he sprained his left shoulder. On March 5, Davis returned to the starting lineup with 17 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocked shots against the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...
. On March 9, Davis established a career high in rebounds with 18 to go along with 20 points against the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...
. On March 20, Davis tipped in the game-winning basket over Kevin Garnett against the Boston Celtics with 0.3 seconds remaining. On April 10, Davis suffered a season-ending left knee
medial collateral ligament The medial collateral ligament (MCL), also called the superficial medial collateral ligament (sMCL) or tibial collateral ligament (TCL), is one of the major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial (inner) side of the knee joint and occurs in ...
sprain and bone bruise. He was injured in a collision with Marcus Thornton of the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
. He was a 2013
NBA All-Rookie First Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for play ...
selection, and finished second in
NBA Rookie of the Year The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottlieb T ...
voting (with 306 points) to
Damian Lillard Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr. (born July 15, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Dame Time", he played college basketball for the Weber State Wi ...
(605). His 20 double-doubles was the most in his rookie class. As a rookie, he proved to be mostly a
pick-and-roll The pick and roll (also called a ball screen or screen and roll) in basketball is an offensive play in which a player sets a screen (sports), screen (pick) for a teammate handling the ball and then moves toward the basket (rolls) to receive a pa ...
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. His rookie skill set was said to resemble a young
Lamar Odom Lamar Joseph Odom (born November 6, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player. As a member of the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he won NBA Finals, championships in 2009 and 2010 and was named ...
, but he added over following his rookie season. After the 2012–13 season, the Hornets renamed themselves the Pelicans. Davis donated $65,000 toward the construction of a basketball court at his alma mater, Perspectives. On October 16, 2013, during the preseason of Davis's sophomore year for the 2013–14 New Orleans Pelicans, the Pelicans exercised the team's third-year option on Davis's contract.


First All-Star selection (2013–2014)

Davis began the
2013–14 NBA season The 2013–14 NBA season was the 68th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 29, 2013, with the Indiana Pacers hosting a game against the Orlando Magic followed by the 2012–13 NBA champions Miam ...
with the newly-renamed Pelicans with a pair of double-doubles, posting 20 points and 12 rebounds against
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
on October 30 and 26 points and 17 rebounds against
Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...
on November 1. In the Orlando game, Davis became the youngest player in franchise history to record 25 points and 15 rebounds in a game. In the third game of the season against Charlotte 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. For the week, Davis earned an NBA Player of the Week nomination, but lost out to
Kevin Love Kevin Wesley Love (born September 7, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time All-Star and a two-time member of the All-NBA Second Team, winning an N ...
. On November 8, against the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
, 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. On November 16, he established a new career high with 8 blocks against
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
. He again had 8 blocks on November 20 against the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
. 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 that Roy Hibbert had at that time in the 2012–13 and 2013–14 NBA seasons combined. No other players had two 8-block games as recently. According to ESPN, while drawing a charging foul from
Amar'e Stoudemire Amar'e Carsares Stoudemire (born November 16, 1982) is an American-Israeli professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a player development assistant for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NB ...
, Davis suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left hand in the first quarter against the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
on December 1.
Yahoo! Sports Yahoo! Sports is a sports news website launched by Yahoo! on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from Stats Perform. It employs numerous writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American major sport. ...
claims the injury came on an attempted
alley oop ''Alley Oop'' is a syndicated comic strip created December 5, 1932, by American cartoonist V. T. Hamlin, who wrote and drew the strip through four decades for Newspaper Enterprise Association. Hamlin introduced a cast of colorful characters and ...
. On December 3, the Pelicans announced a four-to-six-week layoff was expected. 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. Davis returned to the lineup on December 18 against the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals. He returned to the starting lineup in the next game with 21 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal against
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...
on December 21. He missed 7 games due to the injury. In his seventh consecutive 20-point game (all losses), Davis posted 31 points and 17 rebounds against Golden State. 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 against Memphis. 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. On January 27, Davis was a finalist for Western Conference Player of the Week but lost out to
Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Durant has won two List of NBA champions, NBA champ ...
. The January 28 contest against the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...
featuring the last three first overall NBA draft picks ( Anthony Bennett, Davis and
Kyrie Irving Kyrie Andrew Irving ( ; , ; born March 23, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named the Rookie of the Year after being selected by the Cleveland Cav ...
), Davis posted 30 points, 8 blocks, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. However, he dislocated his left
index finger The index finger (also referred to as forefinger, first finger, second finger, pointer finger, trigger finger, digitus secundus, digitus II, and many other terms) is the second digit of a human hand. It is located between the thumb and the m ...
causing him to miss the next game the following night. On January 29, he was named a Rising Stars Challenge participant as part of the 2014 NBA All-Star Game weekend. On February 7, he was selected to replace
Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...
in the 2014 NBA All-Star Game. On February 26, Davis sprained his left shoulder late in the first half against the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
. He did not play in the rest of the game, and his subsequent availability was listed as day-to-day. Despite his shoulder sprain, Davis matched his career high with 32 points on February 28 against the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
. He was one of six Western Conference Player of the Week nominees on March 10. On March 14, Davis established a career high with 36 points against Portland. 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 the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
. The performance was the first 40-point, 20-rebound effort of the
2013–14 NBA season The 2013–14 NBA season was the 68th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 29, 2013, with the Indiana Pacers hosting a game against the Orlando Magic followed by the 2012–13 NBA champions Miam ...
. Davis was the fourth-youngest player (21 years and 5 days) to achieve 40/20 in a game and the youngest since
Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...
in 1993. In addition to his career game, Davis set a New Orleans' franchise record with six straight games of at least 28 points.
Glen Rice Glen Anthony Rice Sr. (born May 28, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a small forward, Rice was a three-time NBA All-Star and made 1,559 three-point field goa ...
set the previous best stretch with five straight in the 1990s. It was also the first 40-point performance by a Pelican/Hornet since David West on February 26, 2010. Davis was again a finalist for NBA Player of the Week on March 17 and 24. 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. He missed the rest of the game and the next one. Davis returned to the lineup on March 31 against
Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...
. However, on April 2, Davis endured back spasms that caused him to miss the second half against the Nuggets. Davis saw limited minutes on April 4 and missed a game on April 9 due to his back. On April 10, the team announced that Davis would miss the remaining four games. Davis finished the season as the NBA leader in blocked shots per game (2.82). Davis was the youngest NBA leading shot blocker at (on April 16, ). The record was surpassed 10 seasons later by
Victor Wembanyama Victor Wembanyama ( ; ; born 4 January 2004), nicknamed "Wemby" and "The Alien", is a French professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Considered one of the best basketball prospec ...
at (on April 14, ). Because of his improved performance this season against his rookie season, Davis finished third in the
NBA Most Improved Player Award The NBA's Most Improved Player (MIP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the player who has shown the most progress during the regular season compared to previous seasons. The winner is selected by a panel of sportsw ...
voting behind
Lance Stephenson Lance Stephenson Jr. (born September 5, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League. He attended Lincoln High School in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, where he was named Mr ...
and
Goran Dragić Goran Dragić (born 6 May 1986) is a Slovenian former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Dragon", he played professional basketball in Slovenia and Spain before entering the NBA in 2008. Dragić also played for the Phoenix Suns, Miam ...
.


First All-NBA and playoff appearances (2014–2015)

Davis began the
2014–15 NBA season The 2014–15 NBA season was the 69th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The NBA draft took place on June 26, 2014, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where Andrew Wiggins was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The ...
against the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...
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 since
Nate Thurmond Nathaniel Thurmond (July 25, 1941 – July 16, 2016) was an American professional basketball player who spent the majority of his 14-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Golden State Warriors franchise. He played the ...
had 12 to open the
1974–75 NBA season The 1974–75 NBA season was the 29th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Golden State Warriors winning the NBA Championship, sweeping the Washington Bullets 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals. Notable occurre ...
. The performance also marked the first 26-point/17-rebound/9-block/3-steal effort since
Hakeem Olajuwon Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon ( ; ; born January 21, 1963), nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian and American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NB ...
during the
1989–90 NBA season The 1989–90 NBA season was the 44th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Detroit Pistons winning their second consecutive NBA Championship, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. ...
. On November 8, against the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
, 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. On November 22, Davis scored a career-high 43 points along with 14 rebounds against the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
. He was a finalist for October/November Western Conference Player of the Month. On December 2, Davis fell one assist and one block short of becoming the youngest NBA player to ever record a five-by-five with a 25-point, 10-rebound, 4-assist, 6-steal, 4-block performance against the
Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...
. Davis entered the December 12, 2014, contest against the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...
with a
player efficiency rating The player efficiency rating (PER) is John Hollinger's all-in-one basketball rating, which attempts to collect or boil down all of a player's contributions into one number. Using a detailed formula, Hollinger developed a system that rates ever ...
(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. Davis was sidelined in the subsequent contest. He was a finalist for December Western Conference Player of the Month. 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-point
buzzer beater In timed sports, a buzzer beater is a successful shot made as the clock expires at the end of a period or at the end of the game, leaving zero seconds remaining. A buzzer sounds whenever a game clock expires, hence the name "buzzer beater." In b ...
against
Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...
as part of a 41-point, 10-rebound double-double. The 41-point performance marked a New Orleans record 13th consecutive 20-point performance, surpassing
Pete Maravich Peter Press Maravich ( ; June 22, 1947 – January 5, 1988), known by his nickname Pistol Pete, was an American professional basketball player. He starred in college at Louisiana State University's Tigers basketball team; his father, Press Mar ...
of the 1976–77 New Orleans Jazz. On February 7, 2015, Davis injured his shoulder after falling off the rim when he received an alley-oop. As a result of the injury, he withdrew from the
2015 NBA All-Star Game The 2015 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 15, 2015, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2014–15 season. It was the 64th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at Madison ...
, and was replaced on the roster by
Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Werner Nowitzki (; born June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at , he is widely regarded as one of the great ...
and in the starting lineup by
LaMarcus Aldridge LaMarcus Nurae Aldridge (born July 19, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for two seasons with the Texas Longhorns. Aldridge was selected second overall in the 2006 NBA draft. After spending n ...
. Davis missed five games in late February and early March to the shoulder sprain. He returned against the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
with a very dominant game performance of 39 points, 13 rebounds and 8 blocks, numbers that only
Hakeem Olajuwon Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon ( ; ; born January 21, 1963), nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian and American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NB ...
and
Dwight Howard Dwight David Howard II (born December 8, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Superman" for his athletic prowess, he is an NBA champion, eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA Team honoree, five-time All-Defen ...
had achieved in a game in the prior 30 years. Davis also reached 437 career blocks, a franchise record. 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 the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
. On March 15 in a double overtime game against the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
, 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. Only
David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...
has had at least 30 points, 11 rebounds, 8 blocks and 7 assists in a game. 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. In the final game of the regular season, a must-win game that would send the Pelicans to the
2015 NBA playoffs The 2015 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2014–15 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors defeating the Eastern Conference champion Cleve ...
, 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. 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 in
player efficiency rating The player efficiency rating (PER) is John Hollinger's all-in-one basketball rating, which attempts to collect or boil down all of a player's contributions into one number. Using a detailed formula, Hollinger developed a system that rates ever ...
with 30.89. He was a finalist for Western Conference Player of the Month again in April. In his first career playoff series, Davis averaged 31.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. Although swept by the overall number one seeded
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
, who went on to win the NBA championship, Davis joined
Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...
,
Hakeem Olajuwon Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon ( ; ; born January 21, 1963), nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian and American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NB ...
, and
Karl Malone Karl Anthony Malone (born July 24, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Mailman", he is considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. Malone spen ...
as the only players in the past 20 seasons to average 30 points and 10 rebounds in the playoffs. Davis also became the first player in 40 years to average 30 points and 10 rebounds in a player's first playoff series, with the only other players to do so being
Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain ( ; August21, 1936 – October12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. Standing tall, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. He was enshrin ...
,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( ; born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. , April 16, 1947) is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Associatio ...
and
Bob McAdoo Robert Allen McAdoo Jr. ( ; born September 25, 1951) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was a five-time NBA All-Star and named the NBA Mos ...
. At the end of the season, Davis finished 4th in the
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award The NBA Defensive Player of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the best defensive player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of 124 sportswriters and b ...
voting, 5th in the
NBA Most Valuable Player Award The NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Since the 2022–23 season, winners receive the Michael Jor ...
voting, sixth in the
NBA Most Improved Player Award The NBA's Most Improved Player (MIP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the player who has shown the most progress during the regular season compared to previous seasons. The winner is selected by a panel of sportsw ...
voting. He was selected to the All-NBA First Team for the first time in his career, becoming the first player to make the first team in his first three seasons since
Derrick Rose Derrick Martell Rose (born October 4, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player. He played one year of college basketball for the Memphis Tigers before being drafted first overall by his hometown Chicago Bulls in the 2008 NBA ...
did so in the
2010–11 NBA season The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Chicago's Derrick Rose was named the 2010–11 NBA MVP. Th ...
. He was also an
NBA All-Defensive Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in tw ...
second team selection.


Season-ending injury (2015–2016)

On July 9, 2015, Davis signed a five-year, $145 million contract extension with the Pelicans. On November 6, he tied his career-high of 43 points in a loss to the
Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...
. On December 1, he tied a career-high 9 blocked shots in an offensive off night against the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...
. On December 20, in a win over the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
, Davis scored a single-quarter career-high 19 first quarter points to finish the game with 27. On January 15, Davis converted an
alley oop ''Alley Oop'' is a syndicated comic strip created December 5, 1932, by American cartoonist V. T. Hamlin, who wrote and drew the strip through four decades for Newspaper Enterprise Association. Hamlin introduced a cast of colorful characters and ...
dunk from
Jrue Holiday Jrue Randall Holiday ( ; born June 12, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for one season with the UCLA Bruins before being selecte ...
with 2 seconds remaining to give New Orleans a 109–107 victory over the
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...
. On January 28, Davis was named as a reserve for the
2016 NBA All-Star Game The 2016 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 14, 2016, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2015–16 season. It was the 65th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at Air Can ...
. 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 the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. The following day, he was named to the
NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge The NBA Skills Challenge (officially named the Kia Skills Challenge) is a National Basketball Association (NBA) contest held on the Saturday before the annual NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game as part of the NBA All-Star Weekend, All-Star Weekend. ...
lineup. On February 21, in a win over the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
, Davis scored a franchise-record 59 points and pulled down 20 rebounds. The previous franchise record was 50 points by
Jamal Mashburn Jamal Mashburn Sr. (born November 29, 1972) is an American entrepreneur and former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Monster Mash", Mashburn was a prolific scorer as a small forward in his 12 seasons in the National Basketball Assoc ...
exactly 13 years earlier against the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...
. Davis joined
Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...
and
Chris Webber Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III (born March 1, 1973), nicknamed "C-Webb", is an American former professional basketball player. Webber played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), with the largest portion of his career sp ...
as the only NBA players with 50 points and 20 rebounds in a game since 1983. Davis also became just the 20th player in NBA history to score at least 59 points in a game, and became the youngest player in NBA history to score 59 points in a game, and the second youngest (behind
Bob McAdoo Robert Allen McAdoo Jr. ( ; born September 25, 1951) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was a five-time NBA All-Star and named the NBA Mos ...
) to record 50 points and 20 rebounds in a game. The 59 points was an NBA-wide season high at the time. The total was not surpassed until the final night of the season when
Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...
posted 60 in his final career game. Davis posted a third 40-point game (40 points and 13 rebounds) on March 9 against the
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...
. 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. Upon being deactivated, Davis claimed that he had been playing through left shoulder pain since his rookie season.


All-Star record-breaker (2016–2017)

On October 26, Davis began the season with a 50-point, 16-rebound, 7-steal (career high), 5-assist, 4-block performance against the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
. 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. 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 since
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...
scored 54 points in 1989. Two days later, he had 45 points and 17 rebounds against the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
, becoming the first back-to-back-game 40-point scorer in Pelicans history (since the New Orleans Hornets creation in 2002). On November 10, he scored 32 points against the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
, helping the Pelicans record their first win of the season after starting 0–8. On November 19, Davis posted 38 points and 16 rebounds, including 11 of the Pelicans' final 16 in an overtime win against the
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...
. He posted the game-tying score with 18 seconds remaining in regulation. On November 23, he had a 45-point effort in a 117–96 win over the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
; it was the Pelicans' fourth straight win. On December 23, he had 28 points, a career-high 22 rebounds and four blocked shots in a 91–87 win over the
Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...
. On January 19, Davis was selected as a starter for the
2017 NBA All-Star Game The 2017 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 19, 2017, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2016–17 season. It was the 66th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at the Smoo ...
, marking his fourth selection and second as a starter. On January 27, he had 16 points and tied a career high with 22 rebounds in a 119–103 win over the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. On February 2, he was selected as a participant in the
NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge The NBA Skills Challenge (officially named the Kia Skills Challenge) is a National Basketball Association (NBA) contest held on the Saturday before the annual NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game as part of the NBA All-Star Weekend, All-Star Weekend. ...
. 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. On February 19, 2017, playing on his team's home floor for the
NBA All-Star Game The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is the annual all-star game hosted each February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's All-star, star players. Since 2022, it was held on the third Sunday of ...
, 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. This record has since been broken by Jayson Tatum in
2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
. On March 11, 2017, Davis scored 46 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in a 125–122 overtime win over the
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...
. On March 31, 2017, Davis had 19 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in a 117–89 win over the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
. During the game, Davis became the first player in Pelicans history to reach 2,000 points in a season. Following the season, he edged out
Rudy Gobert Rudy Gobert-Bourgarel ( , ; born June 26, 1992) is a French professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played for the Utah Jazz who acquired him during the 2013 NBA d ...
as the center on the All-NBA first team. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the second time.


Second playoff appearance (2017–2018)

On November 22, 2017, Davis had 29 points and 11 rebounds in a 107–90 win over the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. He finished the game with 7,938 career points, moving him into second in franchise history ahead of
Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and "the Point God", is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded by some as one of the greatest p ...
(7,936). 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. Davis missed three games in early December with an adductor strain. On December 27, 2017, he had 33 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks in a 128–113 win over the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
. 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 the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
. He followed that up with a 45-point/16-rebound overtime effort on January 16 to lead the Pelicans past the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
116–113. On January 18, he was named a
2018 NBA All-Star Game The 2018 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 18, 2018, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2017–18 season. It was the 67th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at Staples ...
starter. On January 28, he had 25 points and 17 rebounds in a 112–103 loss to the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
. Davis's rebound total gave him a franchise all-time high of 3,857, eclipsing David West's mark of 3,853. On February 2, he passed West as the franchise's all-time leading scorer by posting 43 points in a win against the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
giving him a total of 8,702. On February 23, he had 45 points, 17 rebounds, five blocked shots and five steals in a 124–123 overtime win over the
Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...
. He hit a 3-pointer during the game, giving him a career-best 41 3-pointers in a single season. Three days later, he recorded a season-high 53 points, 18 rebounds and five blocked shots in a 125–116 win over the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
. In the game he made a franchise record 21 free throws. 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. Five days later, on his 25th birthday, Davis recorded his first career
triple-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...
with 25 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 10 blocks in a 116–99 loss to the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
. His 10 blocks in a game set a franchise record and he tied his own franchise mark with six blocks in one half. Davis earned NBA Player of the Month for both the Month of February 2018 on March 1 and for the March/April time period on April 11. 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. In Game 1 of the Pelicans' first-round playoff series against the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
, 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. 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. In Game 3 of the Pelicans' second-round series against the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
, 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. 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. At the end of the season, he finished 3rd in the
NBA Most Valuable Player Award The NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Since the 2022–23 season, winners receive the Michael Jor ...
voting and 3rd in the
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award The NBA Defensive Player of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the best defensive player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of 124 sportswriters and b ...
voting. Following the season, he earned his first
NBA All-Defensive First Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in tw ...
and his third
All-NBA First Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...
selections.


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 the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
. On November 7, he had 32 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks in a 107–98 win over the
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...
. On November 12, he had 25 points and a season-high 20 rebounds in a 126–110 win over the
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
. It was the fifth 20-point, 20-rebound game of Davis's career. On November 16, he scored a season-high 43 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in a 129–124 win over the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
. A day later, he recorded 40 points, eight rebounds and a career high-tying eight assists in a 125–115 win over the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
. On November 21, Davis missed the third of three free throws with 2.5 seconds left, as the Pelicans lost 121–120 to the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...
. He finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds and reached 10,000 career points with a dunk late in the first half. He became the eighth-youngest player to reach the milestone at the age of 25 years and 255 days. Davis also recorded 5 steals, 5 blocks and 6 assists to achieve a five-by-five. 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 the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
. On December 12, he had 44 points and 18 rebounds in a 118–114 win over the
Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...
. 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. On January 2, 2019, Davis posted a career-high and franchise-record 26 rebounds along with 34 points against the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
. On January 14, he had 46 points and 16 rebounds in a 121–117 win over the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
. 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 the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
. 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. A day later, the NBA fined him $50,000 for making his request public. 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. 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. 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 the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
.


Los Angeles Lakers (2019–2025)


First NBA championship (2019–2020)

In July 2019, the Pelicans traded Davis to the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
in exchange for
Lonzo Ball Lonzo Anderson Ball (born October 27, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, he played college basketball for one season with the UCLA Bruins, earni ...
,
Brandon Ingram Brandon Xavier Ingram (born September 2, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the second overall pick in the 2016 N ...
, Josh Hart and three first-round draft picks, including the Lakers' No. 4 overall selection in the
2019 NBA draft The 2019 NBA draft was held on June 20, 2019. It took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible p ...
. Davis switched his jersey number to 3 because
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...
already wore No. 23. Although James attempted to relinquish No. 23 to Davis, he was unable to change his number because
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...
refused to allow it. He made his Lakers debut on October 22, 2019, against the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
, putting up 25 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in 37 minutes in a 112–102 loss. On October 29, he became the first Laker to put up a 40-point and 20-rebound performance since
Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...
in 2003. Additionally, Davis did this in 30 minutes of play, which has never been done in the history of the NBA. 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). 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. The 41 points set an NBA record for the most points scored by a player in his first game against a former team. On December 8, Davis scored a season-high 50 points in a 142–125 victory over the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
. On January 3, 2020, Davis had 46 points and 13 rebounds in a 123–113 win over the Pelicans. 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. On January 23, 2020, he was selected to be a front-court starter for the
NBA All-Star Game The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is the annual all-star game hosted each February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's All-star, star players. Since 2022, it was held on the third Sunday of ...
. 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. On August 8, Davis had 42 points and 12 rebounds in a 116–108 win over the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
to help the Lakers clinch the No. 1 playoff seed in the Western conference. Davis was the team leader in rebounds (9.3), blocks (2.3, 3rd in the NBA) and steals (1.5) for the season. He played in 62 of 71 games during the regular season and finished as a runner-up in voting for the
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award The NBA Defensive Player of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the best defensive player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of 124 sportswriters and b ...
. In Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, Davis hit a game winning 3-pointer against the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
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-winning
buzzer beater In timed sports, a buzzer beater is a successful shot made as the clock expires at the end of a period or at the end of the game, leaving zero seconds remaining. A buzzer sounds whenever a game clock expires, hence the name "buzzer beater." In b ...
. They advanced to the
2020 NBA Finals The 2020 NBA Finals was the NBA Finals, championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2019–20 NBA season, 2019–20 season and conclusion of 2020 NBA playoffs, the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, th ...
, where Davis and
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...
led the Lakers to a 4–2 win over the
Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...
for the franchise's 17th championship, tying them with Boston for the most in league history. Davis became the eighth player to achieve the
basketball Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Basketball *Triple Crown (American basketball) * Triple Crown (European basketball) Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trop ...
, and the first player to win an NCAA title, an Olympic gold medal, a FIBA World Cup, and an NBA title, Davis and James were the first teammates to be first team All-NBA since 2007.


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. 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. In the opening round of the playoffs, the Lakers were up 2–1 in the series against the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
when Davis suffered a strained left groin in Game 4. 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. 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. 3 retired by the Lakers. On December 17, Davis exited in the third quarter of a 110–92 loss to the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
after suffering an MCL sprain in his left knee. He missed 17 games before returning in late January, and for the first time since 2013 was not selected for the
2022 NBA All-Star Game The 2022 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition game played on February 20, 2022, during the National Basketball Association's 2021–22 NBA season, 2021–22 season. It was the 71st edition of the NBA All-Star Game. The game was hosted by the Cleve ...
. On February 16, 2022, in a 106–101 win against the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
, Davis injured his right ankle and missed 18 games. 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.


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 the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
, to help the Los Angeles Lakers snap a five-game losing streak. In the next game, Davis recorded a then season-high 38 points, 16 rebounds and 4 blocks in a 128–121 win over the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
. 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 the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
. He became the first player since the 1973–74 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, joining
Elgin Baylor Elgin Gay Baylor ( ; September 16, 1934 – March 22, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and executive. He played 14 seasons as a forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lak ...
(had seven such streaks) and
Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...
(November 19–26, 1999). 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 the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
. On December 4, Davis scored a season-high 55 points along with 17 rebounds and three blocks in a 130–119 win over the
Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...
. He joined Kevin 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 Wilton Norman Chamberlain ( ; August21, 1936 – October12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. Standing tall, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. He was enshrin ...
had two and David Thompson had one. He also became the first Laker with back-to-back 40-point games since
Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...
in March 2013. On December 5, Davis was named the NBA Western Conference Player 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. 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 the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. On February 26, he led the Lakers to a 111–108 come-from-behind victory over the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
with 30 points and 15 rebounds. It was the biggest comeback of the season at that time, and the Lakers' biggest comeback in franchise history since 2002. On March 5, Davis recorded 39 points, eight rebounds and six assists in an 113–105 win over the reigning champions the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
. On March 7, Davis put up 30 points and a season-high 22 rebounds in a 112–103 win over the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...
. 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 in 2003–04 season. 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. He also earned NBA Western Conference Player of the Month for March/April on April 11, 2023. 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. 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. 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 joined
Tim Duncan Timothy Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 19-year career with the San Antonio Sp ...
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. In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Davis recorded 40 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in a 132–126 loss against the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
. The Lakers ultimately lost the series to the eventual NBA champion Nuggets in a four-game sweep. During the 2023 playoffs, Davis became the third Lakers player with 50 blocks in a single postseason, behind only Shaquille O'Neal and
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( ; born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. , April 16, 1947) is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Associatio ...
.


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 the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. On December 10, 2023, Davis won the inaugural NBA Cup with the Lakers after winning the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament. Davis had 41 points on 16-for-24 shooting, 20 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks against the
Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
in the championship game. Davis was recognized as a member of the All-Tournament team. 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 the
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
. 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 the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
. On February 1, Davis was named as reserve for the
2024 NBA All-Star Game The 2024 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game played on February 18, 2024, during the National Basketball Association's 2023–24 season. It was the 73rd edition of the NBA All-Star Game. It was hosted by the Indiana Pacers at Gai ...
, his ninth selection. 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 the
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...
. 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. On February 29, Davis posted 40 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in a 134–131 overtime win over the
Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...
. 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 the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
; he became the first player in NBA history to record 25+ points, 25+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and 5+ steals in a single game. On March 16, he suffered an eye contusion in a game against the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers lost the game 128–121. 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 the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
. In Game 4 of the Lakers' first round playoffs series against the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
, 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. 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 – tying
Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain ( ; August21, 1936 – October12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. Standing tall, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. He was enshrin ...
for the fourth-most in team history. The Lakers are 13–2 in those games. On October 25, Davis scored 35 points in a 123–116 victory against the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
. He became the 3rd Lakers player to make consecutive 35-point games during his first two season games, after
Jerry West Jerry Alan West (May 28, 1938 – June 12, 2024) was an American basketball player and executive. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and is widely regarded as one of the greatest ...
and
Elgin Baylor Elgin Gay Baylor ( ; September 16, 1934 – March 22, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and executive. He played 14 seasons as a forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lak ...
. 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 the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. On December 6, Davis recorded 38 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists in a 134–132 overtime loss against the
Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...
. On December 16, Davis tied his season-high with 40 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in a 116–110 win over the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...
. On January 27, 2025, Davis opened the game against the
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...
with 21 points and 11 rebounds in the first quarter, on his way to a 42 point, 23 rebound win. 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. On January 30, Davis was named as reserve for the
2025 NBA All-Star Game The 2025 NBA All-Star Championship was an all-star single-elimination basketball tournament played on February 16, 2025, during the National Basketball Association's 2024–25 season. It was the 74th edition of the NBA All-Star Game. It was host ...
, his tenth selection.


Dallas Mavericks (2025–present)

On February 2, 2025, Davis was traded, alongside Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, to the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
in exchange for Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber, and
Markieff Morris Markieff Morris ( ; born September 2, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks before being drafted 13th over ...
. The Mavericks additionally traded a 2025 second round pick to the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
, who also acquired Jalen Hood-Schifino and a 2025 second-round pick from the Lakers. 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. 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 the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
. He also joined Dončić and
Michael Finley Michael Howard Finley (born March 6, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player who is the assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He ...
as the only players to put up at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a half in Mavericks franchise history. Davis strained his left adductor in the game, however, which analysts expected to sideline him for multiple weeks. On March 17, 2025, Davis was assigned to the
Texas Legends The Texas Legends are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Frisco, Texas, and are affiliated with the Dallas Mavericks. The Legends play their home games at the Comerica Center. The team began as the Colorado 14 ...
. After missing 18 games, Davis returned from injury on March 24 in a 120–101 win over the Brooklyn Nets. 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 joined Daniel Gafford as the only players in franchise history to record a game with at least 30 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks. 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 the
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
. He became the first player in NBA history to post 20+ points, 10+ rebounds, 10+ assists and 5+ blocks in under 31 minutes. Despite Davis delivering a 40-point, 9-rebound performance in the Play-In Tournament game against the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...
, the Mavericks were eliminated from playoff contention with a 120–106 loss.


Career statistics


NBA


Regular season

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New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, 67 , , 66 , , 35.2 , , .519 , , .222 , , .791 , , 10.0 , , 1.6 , , 1.3 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 2.8* , , 20.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, 68 , , 68 , , 36.1 , , .535 , , .083 , , .805 , , 10.2 , , 2.2 , , 1.5 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 2.9* , , 24.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, 61 , , 61 , , 35.5 , , .493 , , .324 , , .758 , , 10.3 , , 1.9 , , 1.3 , , 2.0 , , 24.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, 75 , , 75 , , 36.1 , , .505 , , .299 , , .802 , , 11.8 , , 2.1 , , 1.3 , , 2.2 , , 28.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, 75 , , 75 , , 36.4 , , .534 , , .340 , , .828 , , 11.1 , , 2.3 , , 1.5 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 2.6* , , 28.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, 56 , , 56 , , 33.0 , , .517 , , .331 , , .794 , , 12.0 , , 3.9 , , 1.6 , , 2.4 , , 25.9 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 62 , , 62 , , 34.4 , , .503 , , .330 , , .846 , , 9.3 , , 3.2 , , 1.5 , , 2.3 , , 26.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 36 , , 36 , , 32.3 , , .491 , , .260 , , .738 , , 7.9 , , 3.1 , , 1.3 , , 1.6 , , 21.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 40 , , 40 , , 35.1 , , .532 , , .186 , , .713 , , 9.9 , , 3.1 , , 1.2 , , 2.3 , , 23.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 56 , , 54 , , 34.0 , , .563 , , .257 , , .784 , , 12.5 , , 2.6 , , 1.1 , , 2.0 , , 25.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 76 , , 76 , , 35.5 , , .556 , , .271 , , .816 , , 12.6 , , 3.5 , , 1.2 , , 2.3 , , 24.7 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 42 , , 42 , , 34.3 , , .528 , , .298 , , .788 , , 11.9 , , 3.4 , , 1.3 , , 2.1 , , 25.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, 9 , , 9 , , 29.6 , , .461 , , .233 , , .688 , , 10.1 , , 4.4 , , .6 , , 2.2 , , 20.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 787 , , 780 , , 34.5 , , .522 , , .296 , , .794 , , 10.7 , , 2.6 , , 1.3 , , 2.3 , , 24.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 7 , , 3 , , 17.3 , , .700 , , .143 , , .500 , , 5.3 , , 1.4 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , 18.4


Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
, style="text-align:left;",
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, 4 , , 4 , , 42.9 , , .540 , , .000 , , .889 , , 11.0 , , 2.0 , , 1.3 , , 3.0 , , 31.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
, style="text-align:left;",
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, 9 , , 9 , , 39.8 , , .520 , , .273 , , .828 , , 13.4 , , 1.7 , , 2.0 , , 2.4 , , 30.1 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 21 , , 21 , , 36.6 , , .571 , , .383 , , .832 , , 9.7 , , 3.5 , , 1.2 , , 1.4 , , 27.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 5 , , 5 , , 28.8 , , .403 , , .182 , , .833 , , 6.6 , , 2.6 , , .6 , , 1.6 , , 17.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 16 , , 16 , , 38.0 , , .520 , , .333 , , .852 , , 14.1 , , 2.6 , , 1.4 , , 3.1 , , 22.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 5 , , 5 , , 41.6 , , .634 , , .000 , , .808 , , 15.6 , , 4.0 , , .4 , , 1.6 , , 27.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 60 , , 60 , , 37.6 , , .542 , , .313 , , .840 , , 11.8 , , 2.8 , , 1.3 , , 2.2 , , 26.1


College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 , style="text-align:left;",
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
, style="background:#cfecec;", 40* , , 40 , , 32.0 , , .623 , , .150 , , .709 , , 10.4 , , 1.3 , , 1.3 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 4.7* , , 14.2


Records

;NCAA * Freshman-season total blocked shots (186) * National Championship game blocked shots (6, tied) ;SEC *Single-season blocked shots (186) ;Kentucky *NCAA tournament single-game blocked shots (7) *SEC tournament single-game blocked shots (6) *Season-opener blocked shots (5) *SEC season-opener blocked shots (7) *Freshman field goal percentage (62.3%) *Career blocked shots per game (4.65) *Single-season blocked shots per game (4.65) *Single-season blocked shots (186) *Single-season games played (40, tied) *Single-season games started (40, tied) ;NBA *Free throws made in a quarter (18) *Single All-Star Game field goals made (26) *Single All-Star Game field goals made in a half (15) *Single All-Star Game field goals made in a quarter (10) ;New Orleans *Career points (11,059) *Career rebounds (4,906) *Career offensive rebounds (1,208) *Career defensive rebounds (3,698) *Career blocked shots (1,121) *Career field goals made (4,153) *Career two-point field goals made (3,972) *Career free throws made (2,572) *Career points/game (23.7) *Career blocks/game (2.4) *Career
player efficiency rating The player efficiency rating (PER) is John Hollinger's all-in-one basketball rating, which attempts to collect or boil down all of a player's contributions into one number. Using a detailed formula, Hollinger developed a system that rates ever ...
(27.4) *Career defensive win shares (25.6) *Single-season field goals (780) *Single-season 2-point field goals (730) *Single-season free throws (519) *Single-season defensive rebounds (712) *Single-season blocks (200) *Single-season points (2,110) *Single-season points/game (28.1) *Single-season blocks/game (2.9) *Single-season player efficiency rating (30.8) *Single-season defensive win shares (5.1) *Single-game points (59) *Single-game blocked shots (10) *Single-half blocked shots (6, tied) *Single-game rebounds (26) *Single-game free throws (21) ;Los Angeles *Single-game free throws made (26) *Single-half free throws made (18)


National team career

On May 2, 2012, following a rash of injuries to players who had been on the 20-man
Team USA The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions. Olympic teams Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...
basketball roster in January (notably center
Dwight Howard Dwight David Howard II (born December 8, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Superman" for his athletic prowess, he is an NBA champion, eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA Team honoree, five-time All-Defen ...
), Davis was named as one of the finalists for the 2012 Olympic basketball team. Davis, along with
Greg Monroe Gregory Keith Monroe Jr. (born June 4, 1990) is an American former professional basketball player who is a player development coach for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons i ...
, was under consideration to fill the vacancy at center resulting from Howard's injury. Davis would be the first American player since
Emeka Okafor Chukwuemeka Ndubuisi Okafor (born September 28, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Okafor attended Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas and the University of Connecticut, where in 2004 he won a national championship. ...
(
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
) to have competed in the Olympics without any prior NBA experience. By the beginning of July, he was one of six players (along with
Blake Griffin Blake Austin Griffin (born March 16, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player. Griffin primarily played with the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and played college basketball for the Oklahoma ...
,
James Harden James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is regarded by some as one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA hist ...
,
Rudy Gay Rudy Carlton Gay Jr. (born August 17, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. A forward, he played college basketball for the UConn Huskies before being selected eighth overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, ...
,
Andre Iguodala Andre Tyler Iguodala ( ; born January 28, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player who played for 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The swingman was an NBA All-Star in 2012 and was named to the NBA All ...
and Eric Gordon) competing for the final three roster spots, according to
USA Basketball USA Basketball (USAB) is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA, and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States ...
director
Jerry Colangelo Jerry Colangelo (born November 20, 1939) is an American businessman and sports executive. He formerly owned the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, the Arizona Sandsharks of the Continental Indoor Soccer League, the A ...
.
Tyson Chandler Tyson Cleotis Chandler (born October 2, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. Chandler was drafted directly out of high school as the second overall pick of the 2001 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, then wa ...
,
Kevin Love Kevin Wesley Love (born September 7, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time All-Star and a two-time member of the All-NBA Second Team, winning an N ...
, Griffin and Davis were the only true post players among the final 15. It was reported that Davis "suffered a severely sprained ankle in a workout" on June 30 and "almost assuredly
ould Ould is an English surname as well as an element of many Arabic names. In Arabic contexts it is a transliteration of the word wikt:ولد, ولد, meaning "son". Notable people with this surname include: English surname * Edward Ould (1852–190 ...
bypass a chance to play for Team USA
hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...
summer in the London Olympics." On July 12, 2012, however, he was selected for the Olympic team after Griffin suffered an injury to the same knee he injured in the
2012 NBA playoffs The 2012 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2011–12 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat defeating the Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Th ...
, making him the only college player on the team. The team went undefeated in London and won the gold medal match over
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. Davis was also a member of the 2014 national team that won the gold medal in the
2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup The 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the 17th edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the tournament previously known as the FIBA World Championship. The tournament was held from 30 August to 14 September 2014. Hosted by Spain, it was the la ...
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. On April 15, 2024, Davis was named to the 2024 U.S. Olympic team, returning to the national team after a 10-year gap. 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.


Esports career

On June 19, 2022, Davis signed with
FaZe Clan FaZe Clan, or simply FaZe, is a professional esports and entertainment brand. Founded on May 30, 2010, as FaZe Sniping, the organization has professional players and content creators from around the world, across multiple games. In October 20 ...
, joining Faze Clan's Nuke Squad for ''
Call of Duty ''Call of Duty'' is a first-person shooter military video game series and media franchise published by Activision, starting in 2003. The games were first developed by Infinity Ward, then by Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games. Several spin-of ...
''.


Personal life

Davis is the son of Anthony Davis Sr. Davis Sr. is , and his mother, Erainer, is . He has a twin sister, Antoinette and an older sister, Lesha who played basketball at Daley College. 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. Davis married Marlen Polanco on September 18, 2021. They have three children together. On June 15, 2012, he signed with Arn Tellem and Thad Foucher of the
Wasserman Media Group Wasserman Group is a sports marketing and talent management company based in Los Angeles. Casey Wasserman, grandson of media mogul Lew Wasserman, founded the company in 1998 and acts as its chief executive. History In 2002, Wasserman acquired ...
as his
agent Agent may refer to: Espionage, investigation, and law *, spies or intelligence officers * Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another ** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuran ...
s. Tellem left to become an NBA executive in 2015, and Davis signed with
Rich Paul Richard Paul (born December 16, 1980) is an American sports agent and the founder and chief executive officer of Klutch Sports Group. His most notable client is basketball player LeBron James, with whom he has been a longtime friend. Paul is al ...
of Klutch Sports Group in 2018. Davis
trademarked A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a product or service from a particular source and distinguishes it from ot ...
his
unibrow A unibrow (or jacco brow or monobrow; called synophrys in medicine) is a single eyebrow created when the two eyebrows meet in the middle above the bridge of the nose. The hair above the bridge of the nose is of the same color and thickness as the e ...
sayings "Fear The Brow" and "Raise The Brow" in June 2012. In 2014, he launched AD's Flight Academy, which holds charitable events in the Greater-New Orleans area.


Filmography


Film


Television


See also

* List of NBA franchise career scoring leaders * List of NBA annual blocks leaders * List of NBA single-game blocks leaders * List of NBA career blocks leaders *
List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season blocks leaders In basketball, a block (basketball), block (short for blocked shot) occurs when a defender deflects or stops a field goal (basketball), field goal attempt without committing a personal foul (basketball), foul. The National Collegiate Athletic Ass ...


References


External links

*
Kentucky Wildcats bio

ESPN.com Profile

Articles
at ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' *
Anthony Davis
at
USA Basketball USA Basketball (USAB) is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA, and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States ...
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Anthony 1993 births Living people 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup players 21st-century American sportsmen All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players American twins Basketball players at the 2012 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 2024 Summer Olympics Basketball players from Chicago Basketball Triple Crown winners Centers (basketball) Dallas Mavericks players FIBA Basketball World Cup–winning players First overall NBA draft picks Fraternal twins Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players Los Angeles Lakers players McDonald's High School All-Americans Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics NBA All-Stars New Orleans Hornets draft picks New Orleans Hornets players New Orleans Pelicans players Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Power forwards Southeastern Conference Athlete of the Year winners United States men's national basketball team players