Tyree Ricardo Davis (born September 23, 1979) is an American former 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 who played twelve seasons in 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). He played

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 Iowa Hawkeyes.

Biography

Davis attended North High School in

Davenport, Iowa Davenport ( ) is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. It is situated along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state. Davenport had a population of 101,724 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 cen ...

. He was a four-year starter and the Davenport North team made the state tournament his junior and senior years but did not reach the championship. His father is Tyree Davis and Mother is Linda Davis, he had an older brother named Alonge who died on February 14, 2020, and he has a younger brother named Edward. Davis played one season at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

before being selected by 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 ...

in the first round of the

1998 NBA draft The 1998 NBA draft took place on June 24, 1998, at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This draft helped turn around four struggling franchises: the Dallas Mavericks, the Sacramento Kings, the Boston Celtics, and the Tor ...

, as the 21st pick overall.

Professional career

Charlotte Hornets (1998–2000)

Davis played two seasons with the

, and became known for his high energy play and exciting poster dunks. Although he only played limited minutes, mostly off the bench, his high-flying play got him an invitation to the 2000 Slam Dunk competition, where he scored an 88 out of a possible 100 points, losing to champion Vince Carter. He was traded to 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 ...

in a massive nine-player trade on August 1, 2000.

Miami Heat (2000–2001)

Davis injured his ankle and knee with the Heat and only played a total of seven games for them, and was eventually sent to 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 ...

in a three-team deal involving 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 ...

a year later on October 26, 2001.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2001–2003)

Davis was re-signed to a six-year deal by the Cavaliers on August 21, 2002, but his time in Cleveland was marked by disputes with coach Paul Silas. He additionally received attention for stat padding in a home game 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 March 16, 2003. With Cleveland leading 120–95 and less than 7 seconds remaining, Davis was one rebound short of his first career triple double, and he deliberately tossed an inbound pass off his own rim and caught it in attempt to receive credit for a rebound, but shots taken at one's own basket do not count as official field goal attempts. Jazz guard DeShawn Stevenson shoved Davis in response as Davis proceeded upcourt with the ball. Jazz coach

Jerry Sloan Gerald Eugene Sloan (March 28, 1942 – May 22, 2020) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) before beginning a 30-year coaching career, 23 of which were spent ...

said to reporters afterward, "I would have fouled him too. I would have knocked him on his ass." The Cavaliers initially said they would not punish Davis, saying the embarrassment was enough. However, in the face of a national outcry, the Cavaliers fined him an undisclosed amount for unsportsmanlike conduct, and the play led to Davis being nicknamed "Wrong Rim Ricky" in Cleveland.

Boston Celtics (2003–2006)

On December 15, 2003, Davis was traded along with Chris Mihm, Michael Stewart, and a second round draft pick to 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), ...

in exchange for Tony Battie,

Eric Williams Eric Eustace Williams (25 September 1911 – 29 March 1981) was a Trinidad and Tobago politician. He has been dubbed as the " Father of the Nation", having led the then-British Colony of Trinidad and Tobago to majority rule on 28 October 1956, ...

, and Kedrick Brown. With the Celtics, the Davis played the position of

shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game ...

, as well as

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three, is one of the five Basketball position, positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than Power forward (basketball), power forwards and Cent ...

on occasion. Boston was criticized for acquiring him via trade due to Davis's reputation of selfishness, but he became a more consistent player and a fan-favorite in the city.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2006–2007)

On January 26, 2006, Davis was traded 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 ...

with Mark Blount,

Marcus Banks Arthur Lemarcus Banks III (born November 19, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball, UNLV Runnin' Rebels, where he was Co-Defensive Player of the Year as a ...

, Justin Reed, and two second round draft picks for Wally Szczerbiak, Michael Olowokandi, Dwayne Jones and a first round draft pick.

Return to Miami (2007–2008)

On October 24, 2007, Davis was again traded to the

along with teammate Mark Blount in exchange for the Heat's Antoine Walker, Michael Doleac, Wayne Simien and a first-round draft pick. Davis was reunited with Pat Riley, and Riley admitted he made a mistake of trading Davis in the first place; "I made the mistake of trading him. He's a very talented kid. He was not a problem here. We just needed to move and get bigger players at that time. Over the last six years he has been very efficient."

Los Angeles Clippers (2008–2010)

On July 28, 2008, Davis signed a multi-year contract with 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 ...

. He was waived by the Clippers on February 16, 2010, to make room for newly acquired guard Steve Blake and forward Travis Outlaw. He appeared in 36 games for the Clippers in the 2009/10 season.

Türk Telekom (2010)

On March 1, 2010, Davis signed a contract with the Turkish team Türk Telekom. It would be his first time playing outside the United States. He said about signing with Telekom: "It will be my first European experience. I never watched matches. I just entered myself, and Turk Telekom B.K. signed me."

Jiangsu Dragons (2010)

In October 2010, Davis signed a contract with the Jiangsu Dragons in China.

Chorale Roanne (2011)

In January 2011, Davis signed a contract with Chorale Roanne Basket in France.

Maine Red Claws (2011–2012)

On December 28, 2011, Davis was acquired by the Maine Red Claws of the

NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of the 2024–25 season, ...

. On January 21, 2012, he was waived by the Red Claws.

Piratas de Quebradillas (2012)

In 2012, Davis signed with the

Piratas de Quebradillas ''Piratas'' () is a Spanish adventure drama television series with comedy elements created by Carlos Portela and which stars Óscar Jaenada, Pilar Rubio and Silvia Abascal. It aired on Telecinco in 2011. Premise Set in the 18th century, the fi ...

of Puerto Rico.

Erie BayHawks (2013–2014)

In November 2013, Davis was acquired by the Erie BayHawks of the NBA D-League. On March 18, 2014, he was released by the BayHawks.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , align="left" , , align="left" , Charlotte , 46 , , 1 , , 12.1 , , .405 , , .167 , , .763 , , 1.8 , , 1.3 , , .7 , , .2 , , 4.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Charlotte , 48 , , 4 , , 11.9 , , .503 , , .000 , , .765 , , 1.7 , , 1.3 , , .6 , , .2 , , 4.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

, 7 , , 0 , , 10.0 , , .414 , , 1.000 , , .875 , , 1.0 , , 1.6 , , .7 , , .3 , , 4.6 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

, 82 , , 8 , , 23.8 , , .481 , , .314 , , .790 , , 3.0 , , 2.2 , , .8 , , .3 , , 11.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 79 , , 76 , , 39.6 , , .410 , , .363 , , .748 , , 4.9 , , 5.5 , , 1.6 , , .5 , , 20.6 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 22 , , 22 , , 36.2 , , .431 , , .354 , , .680 , , 5.5 , , 5.0 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , 15.3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, 57 , , 5 , , 29.4 , , .488 , , .380 , , .732 , , 4.2 , , 2.6 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 14.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 82 , , 11 , , 32.9 , , .462 , , .339 , , .815 , , 3.0 , , 3.0 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 16.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 42 , , 42 , , 41.6 , , .464 , , .320 , , .787 , , 4.5 , , 5.3 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 19.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, 36 , , 36 , , 40.6 , , .429 , , .282 , , .807 , , 4.6 , , 4.8 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 19.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 81 , , 81 , , 37.3 , , .465 , , .397 , , .839 , , 3.9 , , 4.8 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 17.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 47 , , 36.1 , , .433 , , .405 , , .787 , , 4.3 , , 3.4 , , 1.1 , , .2 , , 13.8 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , L.A. Clippers , 36 , , 9 , , 21.8 , , .339 , , .315 , , .861 , , 1.7 , , 2.3 , , .5 , , .1 , , 6.4 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , L.A. Clippers , 36 , , 2 , , 13.9 , , .434 , , .381 , , .581 , , 1.6 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , .1 , , 4.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 736 , , 344 , , 29.8 , , .446 , , .361 , , .781 , , 3.5 , , 3.3 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 13.5

Playoffs

, - , align="left" ,

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 ...

, align="left" ,

, 4 , , 0 , , 30.8 , , .400 , , .400 , , .688 , , 3.0 , , 3.5 , , .5 , , .0 , , 11.8 , - , align="left" ,

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

, align="left" ,

, 7 , , 2 , , 34.3 , , .432 , , .333 , , .769 , , 3.6 , , 2.0 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 12.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 11 , , 2 , , 33.0 , , .421 , , .368 , , .738 , , 3.4 , , 2.5 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 12.2

Community activism

Davis founded the charity Feed Your City Challenge, which gave groceries to people and toured many cities during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. He lives in Pearland, Texas

Notes

External links

*
Stats at Basketball Reference

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Ricky 1979 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in China American expatriate basketball people in France American expatriate basketball people in Turkey American men's basketball players Baloncesto Superior Nacional players Basketball players from Iowa Big3 players Boston Celtics players Charlotte Hornets draft picks Charlotte Hornets players Chorale Roanne Basket players Cleveland Cavaliers players Erie BayHawks (2008–2017) players Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball players Jiangsu Dragons players Los Angeles Clippers players Maine Red Claws players Miami Heat players Minnesota Timberwolves players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Piratas de Quebradillas players Basketball players from Davenport, Iowa Shooting guards Small forwards Basketball players from Las Vegas Türk Telekom B.K. players American men's 3x3 basketball players