Anthony Davis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Anthony Davis

Davis with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022
No. 3 – Dallas Mavericks
Center / power forward
Personal information
Born	(1993-03-11) March 11, 1993 (age 32) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
High school	Perspectives Charter (Chicago, Illinois)
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	253 lb (115 kg)
Career information
College	Kentucky (2011–2012)
NBA Draft	2012 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the New Orleans Hornets
Pro career	2012–present
League	NBA
Career history
2012–2019	New Orleans Hornets / Pelicans
2019–2025	Los Angeles Lakers
2025–present	Dallas Mavericks
Career highlights and awards
NBA champion (2020) 10× NBA All-Star (2014–2021, 2024, 2025) NBA All-Star Game MVP (2017) 4× All-NBA First Team (2015, 2017, 2018, 2020) All-NBA Second Team (2024) 3× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2018, 2020, 2024) 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2015, 2017) 3× NBA blocks leader (2014, 2015, 2018) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2013) NBA Cup champion (2023) NBA 75th Anniversary Team NCAA champion (2012) NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (2012) National college player of the year (2012) Consensus first-team All-American (2012) NABC Defensive Player of the Year (2012) USBWA National Freshman of the Year (2012) SEC Male Athlete of the Year (2012) SEC Player of the Year (2012) NCAA blocks leader (2012) SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2012) SEC Rookie of the Year (2012) First-team Parade All-American (2011) McDonald's All-American (2011)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2012 London Team Gold 2024 Paris Team World Cup Gold 2014 Spain Team

Anthony Marshon Davis Jr. (born March 11, 1993), known as "AD" and "the Brow", is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Davis plays as a power forward and center. He has been an NBA All-Star ten times. He was also chosen for five All-NBA Teams and five NBA All-Defensive Teams. In 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, which honors the greatest players in NBA history.

Davis played one season of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. During that time, he was a first team All-American. He was also named the Consensus National Player of the Year. He won several other awards, including the USBWA National Freshman of the Year. Davis led the NCAA in blocked shots. He also set new records for freshmen in the Southeastern Conference and NCAA Division I. He helped Kentucky win a national championship. He was named the NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player of the 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

After one college season, Davis entered the NBA draft. He was the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft by the New Orleans Hornets. That summer, he was chosen to play in the 2012 Olympics. After his first year, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. The next season, he became an All-Star for the first time. He also led the NBA in blocked shots per game. In 2017, he was named the NBA All-Star Game MVP. He set a record by scoring 52 points in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game. Davis was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019. There, he won an NBA championship in 2020. He also won the first ever NBA Cup in 2023. In February 2025, he was traded to the Mavericks. This trade was a big surprise in American sports.

Davis has won gold medals with the U.S. national team. He won at the 2012 Olympics, the 2014 World Cup, and the 2024 Olympics. He is one of only eight players to achieve the basketball Triple Crown.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Anthony Davis was born in Chicago. He grew up in the Englewood neighborhood. He played high school basketball at Perspectives Charter School. He had attended this school since sixth grade. His team played in a lower division, so they did not get much media attention. Perspectives is a special school focused on math and science. It had a good academic reputation but not much sports success. The school did not even have its own gym. Davis's middle school teams practiced at a nearby church.

When he was younger, Davis was known as "the little guy who would shoot threes". He was 6 feet tall in his freshman year. By the end of his sophomore year, he was 6 feet 4 inches. He started his junior year at 6 feet 8 inches. He was lucky to grow so fast without knee pain. His family thought about moving him to a bigger basketball school. But his coach told them that if he was good enough, teams would find him anywhere.

Davis started playing for a traveling team called Meanstreets. This helped him get noticed. In August 2010, he decided to play college basketball at Kentucky. He chose Kentucky over other big schools like DePaul and Ohio State. By August 2010, he was ranked as the number one player in his high school class.

Davis at the Jordan Brand Classic in April 2011

In his senior year, Davis was 6 feet 10 inches tall. He still played like a guard sometimes, dribbling the ball and shooting from outside. He averaged 32 points, 22 rebounds, and 7 blocks per game that season. He earned many awards in high school. He was chosen for the 2011 McDonald's All-American Game. He also played in the 10th annual Jordan Brand Classic. He was named a first-team All-American by several sports magazines.

In the McDonald's All-American Game, Davis scored 14 points and had 6 rebounds. He also had 4 blocks. In the Jordan Brand Classic, he scored 29 points and had 11 rebounds. He also had 4 blocks. His 29 points were the second-highest ever in that game.

College Basketball Career

Davis played at Kentucky for head coach John Calipari.

Davis joined the Kentucky Wildcats team. Their coach was John Calipari. Even before he started college, people thought he might be the first pick in the 2012 NBA draft. Davis wore jersey number 23, just like Michael Jordan. His coach said Davis was 6 feet 10 inches tall with a long wingspan. He could also shoot and dribble the ball well.

Davis quickly became a top player in college. He was considered for National Player of the Year. He averaged 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.7 blocks per game. He also shot 62.3% from the field. He led the Wildcats to a perfect 16–0 record in their conference. They won the SEC regular season championship.

The Wildcats were the top team in the 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Davis led them to their eighth NCAA championship. In the six tournament games, he averaged 15.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 4.6 blocks. He was named the NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player.

College Honors and Awards

Davis won many national awards in 2012. He was named the Sporting News Men's College Basketball Player of the Year. He also won the Adolph Rupp Trophy. CBSSports.com named him their national player of the year. He became only the second freshman to win the Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year. He also won the John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year. He was Kentucky's first Naismith winner.

He was named a first-team All-American by many groups. These included Sporting News, the United States Basketball Writers Association, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He was a unanimous first-team All-American selection.

During the 2012 NCAA Tournament, Davis was chosen for the All-Tournament Team. In the championship game, he had 16 rebounds, 6 blocks, 5 assists, and 3 steals. He won the Most Outstanding Player award for the tournament. He was the fourth freshman to win this award.

Davis was also named the USBWA National Freshman of the Year. He won the Pete Newell Big Man Award. He also won the NABC Defensive Player of the Year.

Conference Awards

Davis as a Wildcat

Davis won SEC Player of the Week twice. He also won SEC Freshman of the Week four times. He was named the SEC Player of the Year. He was also the SEC Freshman of the Year and SEC Defensive Player of the Year. He was a first-team All-SEC player. The Associated Press also named him Player and Newcomer of the Year for the SEC.

College Records

Davis set many records during his college career.

• He blocked more shots per game than most college teams.
• He set the Kentucky record for single-season blocked shots (186).
• He set the SEC freshman record for blocks (116).
• He tied the NCAA Championship game record for blocks (6).
• He tied the Kentucky freshman-season record for double-doubles (20).
• He set the Kentucky freshman rebounds record (415).
• He set an NCAA Division I freshman record for total blocks (186).

Professional Career

New Orleans Hornets / Pelicans (2012–2019)

Rookie Season (2012–2013)

Davis was the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. The New Orleans Hornets drafted him. He signed a three-year contract. On November 1, 2012, Davis played his first NBA game. He scored 21 points. He later suffered a concussion and an ankle injury, missing some games.

On November 9, he had his first double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds. He also had 5 blocks. On December 18, he had a career-high 16 rebounds. On March 20, he made the game-winning shot against the Boston Celtics. He finished second in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting. He had the most double-doubles among rookies. After his rookie season, the Hornets changed their name to the Pelicans.

First All-Star Selection (2013–2014)

Davis shoots a free throw on January 1, 2014.

Davis started the 2013–14 NBA season strong. He had 20 points and 12 rebounds in his first game. In the third game, he set career highs with 6 blocks and 6 steals. He was the first player in 20 years with 6 blocks, 6 steals, and 25 points in a game. On November 8, he scored a career-high 32 points. He also had 12 rebounds and 6 blocks. He was the youngest player to have at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks in an NBA game.

He suffered a hand injury in December 2013, missing 7 games. He returned and continued to play well. On February 7, 2014, he was chosen to replace Kobe Bryant in the 2014 NBA All-Star Game. This was his first All-Star selection. On March 16, Davis scored a career-high 40 points and had 21 rebounds. This was the first 40-point, 20-rebound game of the season. He was the fourth-youngest player to achieve this. Davis finished the season as the NBA leader in blocked shots per game (2.82).

First All-NBA and Playoff Appearances (2014–2015)

Davis in 2014

Davis started the 2014–15 NBA season with an amazing performance. He had 26 points, 17 rebounds, 9 blocks, and 3 steals. On November 22, he scored a career-high 43 points and had 14 rebounds. On February 6, 2015, he made a game-winning three-point shot at the last second. He also had 41 points and 10 rebounds in that game.

He injured his shoulder in February 2015 and missed five games. When he returned, he had 39 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 blocks. He also set a Pelicans franchise record with 437 career blocks. On March 9, he tied his career high with 43 points. In the last game of the regular season, Davis had 31 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks. This win sent the Pelicans to the 2015 NBA playoffs. It was Davis's first time in the playoffs.

In his first playoff series, Davis averaged 31.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game. The Pelicans lost to the Golden State Warriors. Davis was selected to the All-NBA First Team for the first time. He was also an NBA All-Defensive Team second team selection.

Season-Ending Injury (2015–2016)

Davis during his 59-point, 20-rebound performance against the Detroit Pistons on February 21, 2016. His 59 points set a new franchise record.

On July 9, 2015, Davis signed a new five-year contract with the Pelicans. On February 21, 2016, Davis scored a franchise-record 59 points. He also had 20 rebounds in that game. He joined Shaquille O'Neal and Chris Webber as the only NBA players with 50 points and 20 rebounds in a game since 1983. He was the youngest player in NBA history to score 59 points. In March, he was ruled out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury and a torn labrum in his shoulder.

All-Star Record-Breaker (2016–2017)

On October 26, 2016, Davis started the season with 50 points, 16 rebounds, 7 steals, 5 assists, and 4 blocks. This was the first time in NBA history a player had such numbers in a season opener. Two days later, he scored 45 points and had 17 rebounds. This made him the first Pelicans player to score 40 points in back-to-back games. On December 23, he had a career-high 22 rebounds.

On February 19, 2017, Davis played in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game in his home city. He scored 52 points and had 10 rebounds. He broke Wilt Chamberlain's All-Star record of 42 points. He also won the game's Most Valuable Player award. After the season, he was named to the All-NBA first team. He was also on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

Second Playoff Appearance (2017–2018)

Davis shoots over Mike Scott of the Washington Wizards on December 19, 2017.

On November 22, 2017, Davis passed Chris Paul to become second in Pelicans franchise history for career points. On January 14, 2018, Davis scored a season-high 48 points. He also had 17 rebounds. He led the Pelicans to a comeback win. Two days later, he scored 45 points and had 16 rebounds. On January 18, he was named a starter for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.

On January 28, he became the Pelicans' all-time leading rebounder. On February 2, he passed David West to become the franchise's all-time leading scorer. On February 26, he scored a season-high 53 points. He also had 18 rebounds and 5 blocks. He made a franchise record 21 free throws in that game. On March 11, his 25th birthday, Davis recorded his first career triple-double. He had 25 points, 11 rebounds, and a career-high 10 blocks. His 10 blocks set a new franchise record.

In the playoffs, Davis had 35 points and 14 rebounds in Game 1 against the Portland Trail Blazers. This was the Pelicans' first playoff win since 2011. In Game 4, Davis scored a franchise playoff-record 47 points. The Pelicans swept the Trail Blazers. They lost to the Golden State Warriors in the next round. Davis finished third in the NBA Most Valuable Player Award voting. He also earned his first NBA All-Defensive First Team selection.

Requesting a Trade (2018–2019)

On October 17, 2018, Davis had 32 points, 16 rebounds, and a career-high 8 assists in the season opener. On November 21, he reached 10,000 career points. He was the eighth-youngest player to reach this milestone. He also achieved a five-by-five in that game. On January 2, 2019, Davis set a career-high and franchise-record with 26 rebounds.

On January 28, Davis told the Pelicans he would not sign a new contract. He asked to be traded. The NBA fined him for making his request public. He played for the Pelicans for the rest of the season.

Los Angeles Lakers (2019–2025)

First NBA Championship (2019–2020)

In July 2019, the Pelicans traded Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers. He joined LeBron James on the team. Davis changed his jersey number to 3. He made his Lakers debut on October 22, 2019. He scored 25 points and had 10 rebounds. On October 29, he became the first Laker since Shaquille O'Neal in 2003 to have a 40-point and 20-rebound game. He did this in only 30 minutes, which was an NBA record.

On November 27, Davis returned to New Orleans to play against his former team. He scored 41 points. This 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. On January 23, 2020, he was chosen as a starter for the NBA All-Star Game.

Davis was a runner-up for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. In the Western Conference finals, Davis made a game-winning three-pointer against the Denver Nuggets. He scored 31 points in that game. The Lakers won the series and advanced to the 2020 NBA Finals. Davis and LeBron James led the Lakers to a 4–2 win over the Miami Heat. They won the franchise's 17th championship. Davis became the eighth player to achieve the basketball Triple Crown. He was also the first player to win an NCAA title, an Olympic gold medal, a FIBA World Cup, and an NBA title.

Injury-Plagued Seasons (2020–2022)

On December 3, 2020, Davis signed a new five-year contract with the Lakers. In the 2020–21 season, he missed 30 games due to calf and heel injuries. This was his longest absence. In the playoffs, he suffered a groin strain and the Lakers were eliminated.

In the 2021–22 season, Davis missed more games due to a knee sprain and an ankle injury. He was not selected for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. He played in only 40 games that season. The Lakers missed the playoffs.

Return from Injury and Western Conference Finals (2022–2023)

Evan Mobley and Davis

On November 13, 2022, Davis scored 37 points and had 18 rebounds. In the next game, he had 38 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 blocks. On November 22, he had 37 points, 21 rebounds, 5 steals, and 5 blocks. He was the first player since the 1973–74 season to record 35-plus points, 20-plus rebounds, 5-plus steals, and 5-plus blocks in a game.

On December 4, Davis scored a season-high 55 points. He also had 17 rebounds and 3 blocks. He became only the second player in NBA history to have at least 55 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks in a game. He was also the first Laker with back-to-back 40-point games since Kobe Bryant in 2013.

On January 25, 2023, Davis returned after missing 20 games with a foot injury. He had 21 points and 12 rebounds. On March 7, Davis had 30 points and a season-high 22 rebounds. He became the first Laker since Shaquille O'Neal to have multiple games with at least 30 points and 20 rebounds in a season.

In the playoffs, Davis had a playoff career-high 7 blocks in Game 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies. In Game 1 of the second round against the Golden State Warriors, he had 30 points, a playoff career-high 23 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks. He joined Tim Duncan as the only players in NBA history to have such a game in the playoffs. In the Western Conference Finals, Davis scored 40 points in Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers lost the series. Davis became the third Lakers player with 50 blocks in a single postseason.

NBA Cup Champion and Final Seasons with the Lakers (2023–2025)

On August 4, 2023, Davis signed a three-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. On December 10, 2023, Davis won the first-ever NBA Cup with the Lakers. He had 41 points and 20 rebounds in the championship game. On January 13, 2024, Davis recorded his second career triple-double. He had 15 points, 15 rebounds, and a career-high 11 assists.

On February 1, Davis was named an All-Star reserve for the ninth time. On February 5, he had his third career triple-double. He had 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists. On March 10, Davis had 27 points, a season-high 25 rebounds, a career-high 7 steals, 5 assists, and 3 blocks. He was the first player in NBA history to record 25+ points, 25+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and 5+ steals in a single game. On March 26, Davis played a career-high 52 minutes. He had 34 points and 23 rebounds. In the 2024 playoffs, Davis had 25 points, 23 rebounds, and 6 assists in Game 4 against the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers lost the series.

On October 22, 2024, Davis had 36 points and 16 rebounds in the Lakers' season opener. On November 15, he scored a season-high 40 points and had 12 rebounds. On December 16, he tied his season-high with 40 points and had 16 rebounds. On January 27, 2025, Davis had 42 points and 23 rebounds. On January 30, Davis was named an All-Star reserve for the tenth time.

Dallas Mavericks (2025–Present)

On February 2, 2025, Davis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. This was a very big and unexpected trade in NBA history. On February 8, Davis made his Mavericks debut. He had 26 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocks. He strained his left adductor muscle in that game, which sidelined him for several weeks.

Davis returned from injury on March 24. On April 2, he hit a game-winning shot against the Atlanta Hawks. He finished that game with 34 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks. On April 11, Davis recorded his fourth career triple-double. He had 23 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and a season-high 7 blocks. He was the first player in NBA history to get 20+ points, 10+ rebounds, 10+ assists, and 5+ blocks in under 31 minutes. The Mavericks were eliminated from the playoffs despite Davis's strong performance.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular Season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2012–13	New Orleans	64	60	28.8	.516	.000	.751	8.2	1.0	1.2	1.8	13.5
2013–14	New Orleans	67	66	35.2	.519	.222	.791	10.0	1.6	1.3	2.8*	20.8
2014–15	New Orleans	68	68	36.1	.535	.083	.805	10.2	2.2	1.5	2.9*	24.4
2015–16	New Orleans	61	61	35.5	.493	.324	.758	10.3	1.9	1.3	2.0	24.3
2016–17	New Orleans	75	75	36.1	.505	.299	.802	11.8	2.1	1.3	2.2	28.0
2017–18	New Orleans	75	75	36.4	.534	.340	.828	11.1	2.3	1.5	2.6*	28.1
2018–19	New Orleans	56	56	33.0	.517	.331	.794	12.0	3.9	1.6	2.4	25.9
2019–20	L.A. Lakers	62	62	34.4	.503	.330	.846	9.3	3.2	1.5	2.3	26.1
2020–21	L.A. Lakers	36	36	32.3	.491	.260	.738	7.9	3.1	1.3	1.6	21.8
2021–22	L.A. Lakers	40	40	35.1	.532	.186	.713	9.9	3.1	1.2	2.3	23.2
2022–23	L.A. Lakers	56	54	34.0	.563	.257	.784	12.5	2.6	1.1	2.0	25.9
2023–24	L.A. Lakers	76	76	35.5	.556	.271	.816	12.6	3.5	1.2	2.3	24.7
2024–25	L.A. Lakers	42	42	34.3	.528	.298	.788	11.9	3.4	1.3	2.1	25.7
	Dallas	9	9	29.6	.461	.233	.688	10.1	4.4	.6	2.2	20.0
Career		787	780	34.5	.522	.296	.794	10.7	2.6	1.3	2.3	24.1
All-Star		7	3	17.3	.700	.143	.500	5.3	1.4	1.1	.6	18.4

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2015	New Orleans	4	4	42.9	.540	.000	.889	11.0	2.0	1.3	3.0	31.5
2018	New Orleans	9	9	39.8	.520	.273	.828	13.4	1.7	2.0	2.4	30.1
2020	L.A. Lakers	21	21	36.6	.571	.383	.832	9.7	3.5	1.2	1.4	27.7
2021	L.A. Lakers	5	5	28.8	.403	.182	.833	6.6	2.6	.6	1.6	17.4
2023	L.A. Lakers	16	16	38.0	.520	.333	.852	14.1	2.6	1.4	3.1	22.6
2024	L.A. Lakers	5	5	41.6	.634	.000	.808	15.6	4.0	.4	1.6	27.8
Career		60	60	37.6	.542	.313	.840	11.8	2.8	1.3	2.2	26.1

College

National Team Career

Davis with the 2012 U.S. Olympic team

Davis fields a question from Matt Winer at the 2014 World Basketball Festival with Team USA.

In May 2012, Anthony Davis was named a finalist for the 2012 Olympic basketball team. He was the only college player on the team. The team went undefeated in London and won the gold medal.

Davis was also part of the 2014 national team. They won the gold medal in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He averaged 12.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. On April 15, 2024, Davis was named to the 2024 U.S. Olympic team. He helped Team USA win another gold medal.

Esports Career

On June 19, 2022, Anthony Davis joined FaZe Clan. He became part of FaZe Clan's Nuke Squad for the video game Call of Duty.

Personal Life

Anthony Davis is the son of Anthony Davis Sr. His father is 6 feet 3 inches tall, and his mother, Erainer, is 6 feet 1 inch tall. He has a twin sister, Antoinette, and an older sister, Lesha. Lesha played basketball at Daley College. He also has cousins who played basketball.

Davis married Marlen Polanco on September 18, 2021. They have three children together.

In June 2012, Davis trademarked his famous unibrow sayings. These included "Fear The Brow" and "Raise The Brow". In 2014, he started AD's Flight Academy. This group holds charity events in the New Orleans area.

Film and Television Appearances

Film

Television

Images for kids

• 

  Davis in his first season as a Hornet

See also

In Spanish: Anthony Davis (baloncestista) para niños