Background and career
Anthony Marshon Davis Jr. (born March 11, 1993), nicknamed "AD" and "the Brow", is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Davis, a power forward and center, is a ten-time NBA All-Star and has been named to five All-NBA Teams (including four first-team selections) and five NBA All-Defensive Teams (including three first-team selections). In 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. Davis is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time. Davis played one season of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats, 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, NABC Defensive Player of the Year and the Pete Newell Big Man Award. Davis led the NCAA in blocks and set Southeastern Conference and NCAA Division I freshman single-season blocked shots records. He led Kentucky to a national championship and was named the most outstanding player of the 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Davis left college for the NBA after one season and was drafted as the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft by the New Orleans Hornets, 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 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 after scoring a then-record 52 points in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game. Davis was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019, where he won an NBA championship in 2020 and the first edition of the NBA Cup in 2023. In February 2025, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Dončić in what was regarded as one of the most unexpected trades in American sports history. A year later, he was traded to the Washington Wizards. 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.
Born in Chicago, 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 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 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m). By the beginning of his sophomore year, he had grown another 1 inch (2.5 cm), and he finished the year at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m). Davis began his junior basketball season at 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m), saying he felt fortunate to have had such a rapid growth spurt 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 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 100. Attention came when he started playing on Tai Streets' 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 Spiece Fieldhouse event. In August 2010, Davis played in the Nike Global Challenge in Hillsboro, Oregon. 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 and Syracuse. 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 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 lawyer. Anthony Davis Sr. declined to speak to the Chicago Tribune 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 on libel cases expired before any lawsuits were filed. Davis signed his National Letter of Intent 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 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m). His team's game against Whitney M. Young Magnet High School was nationally televised on ESPNU. 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 and the 10th annual Jordan Brand Classic. 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 (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, Davis made his first five field goals 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 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's 34-point performance.
Davis committed to the Kentucky Wildcats, coached by John Calipari. Before his college career began, he was being mentioned as the first overall selection in the 2012 NBA draft. In late February Dick Vitale mentioned the possibility that Davis might complete the men's college basketball awards Grand Slam of National Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, 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 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'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, 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. Some sources, such as Blue Ribbon, selected Connecticut's Andre Drummond 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 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. However, after less than a month of Southeastern Conference 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. 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 of 62.3%. The Wildcats entered the SEC Tournament as heavy favorites and defeated LSU and Florida 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. 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.
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 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) to win the Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year. On March 31, he won the John R. Wooden Award. The following day he won the Naismith College Player of the Year. He was Kentucky's first Naismith winner and the first from the SEC in 42 years (Pete Maravich). Davis was named to the 2012 Sporting News All-American first team. He was also named first team All-American by the United States Basketball Writers Association. On March 20, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (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, he posted 18 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks against Louisville. In the championship game, he had 16 rebounds, 6 blocks, 5 assists, 3 steals and 6 points against Kansas. He won the NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player 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. 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 and the NABC Defensive Player of the Year. CollegeInsider.com recognized him with the Lefty Driesell Award as Defensive Player of the Year and the Kyle Macy Award as Freshman of the Year.
