Baron Davis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Baron Davis

Davis in 2023
No. 1, 5, 85, 24
Point guard
Personal information
Born	(1979-04-13) April 13, 1979 (age 46) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
High school	Crossroads School (Santa Monica, California)
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College	UCLA (1997–1999)
NBA Draft	1999 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Charlotte Hornets
Pro career	1998–2012; 2016
Career history
1999–2002	Charlotte Hornets
2002–2005	New Orleans Hornets
2005–2008	Golden State Warriors
2008–2011	Los Angeles Clippers
2011	Cleveland Cavaliers
2011–2012	New York Knicks
2016	Delaware 87ers
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA All-Star (2002, 2004) All-NBA Third Team (2004) 2× NBA steals leader (2004, 2007) Third-team All-American – AP (1999) First-team All-Pac-10 (1999) Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (1998) Pac-10 All-Freshman Team (1998) Gatorade Player of the Year (1997) First-team Parade All-American (1997) McDonald's All-American (1997) California Mr. Basketball (1997)
Career NBA statistics
Points	13,447 (16.1 ppg)
Steals	1,530 (1.8 spg)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States Goodwill Games Gold 2001 Brisbane National team

Baron Walter Louis Davis (born April 13, 1979) is a former American professional basketball player. He is also a television host and sports analyst. Baron was a two-time NBA All-Star. He was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2004. He also twice led the NBA in steals.

The Charlotte Hornets picked him third overall in the 1999 NBA draft. He played for several NBA teams. These included the New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Clippers. He also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks. Before turning pro, Davis played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. He earned All-American honors there. He was a standout high school player at Crossroads School. Davis holds the NBA playoff record for steals per game. He averaged 2.28 steals over 50 games.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Baron Davis was born in Los Angeles. He grew up in the South Central area. His grandmother, Lela Nicholson, raised him. She strongly encouraged him to play basketball. With her support, he went to Crossroads School. This is a well-known private school in Santa Monica.

As a senior, Davis led his team to a championship. They won The Beach Ball Classic tournament in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He was named MVP of the tournament. That year, Davis also won the Gatorade National Player of the Year award. He was also a Parade All-American. In 1997, he played in the McDonald's All-American High School Basketball Game. He played with future NBA stars like Elton Brand and Shane Battier.

College Career at UCLA

Many top colleges wanted Baron Davis to play for them. These included Kansas and Duke. But Davis chose UCLA. He wanted to play close to his family and friends. He started at UCLA in 1997.

In 1998, Davis was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. In 1999, his second year, he was a third-team All-American. During his two years at UCLA, he averaged 13.6 points and 5.1 assists. In his freshman year, he injured his knee. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during an NCAA Tournament game. Surprisingly, he recovered fully the next season. He regained his speed and explosiveness. He then decided to enter the 1999 NBA draft after his sophomore year.

Professional Basketball Journey

Charlotte Hornets (1999–2002)

The 1999 NBA draft saw Baron Davis picked third by the Charlotte Hornets. In his first NBA game, he scored nine points. He also had five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. In his rookie year, he was a backup player. The Hornets lost in the first round of the playoffs.

Davis, pictured here in 2003, was drafted by the Hornets in 1999

The next year, Davis played much better. His points, assists, and steals all increased. He started all 82 games for the Hornets. He led them back to the playoffs. They swept the Miami Heat. Then they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games. On February 17, 2001, Davis made an amazing shot. It was 89-foot (27 m) long, one of the longest in NBA history. He also took part in the Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star weekend.

In his third season, Davis again started all 82 games. He averaged 18 points and 8.5 assists. He was chosen for the 2002 NBA All-Star Game. The Hornets made the playoffs for the third time. They beat the Orlando Magic. But they were then eliminated by the New Jersey Nets.

New Orleans Hornets (2002–2005)

In 2002, the Hornets team moved to New Orleans. In their first season there, Davis had many injuries. He played in only 50 games. Still, he led the Hornets to the playoffs. They lost in the first round to the Philadelphia 76ers. Allen Iverson later said Davis was the hardest player he ever had to guard.

The next season, injuries limited Davis to 67 games. Even so, he led the league in steals per game. He was also voted an All-Star for the second time. He earned a spot on the All-NBA third team. Davis also won the Skills Challenge during All-Star Weekend. The Hornets lost in the first round of the playoffs. They were defeated by the Miami Heat in seven games.

The Hornets reached the playoffs in all five of Davis's years with the team. They only advanced past the first round in the two years he started every game. After Davis was traded, New Orleans missed the playoffs for three years. He also played for the U.S. national team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship.

Golden State Warriors (2005–2008)

Davis with the Warriors in 2005

On February 24, 2005, Davis was traded to the Golden State Warriors. This happened after some disagreements with the Hornets' coaches. He also had several injuries. The trade brought Davis back to California. He had wanted to return there since his college days.

The Warriors hired coach Don Nelson for the 2006–07 season. His fast-paced offense suited Davis's style. Davis had knee surgery during the season. But he still led the league in steals per game. He also led the Warriors to their first playoff appearance since 1994. The Warriors beat the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks 4–2. This was a huge upset in NBA playoff history. Davis averaged 25 points per game in that series.

Steve Kerr, a TV analyst, called Davis's performance "outrageous." He said it was "stunningly athletic and creative." Davis's playoff highlights included amazing layups. He also made a half-court shot at the buzzer. A memorable dunk over Andrei Kirilenko was also a highlight. The Utah Jazz then eliminated the Warriors. Davis averaged 25.3 points, 6.5 assists, and 2.9 steals in the 2007 Playoffs.

Davis defending Kobe Bryant

In 2008, the Warriors missed the playoffs. Davis had a great season, averaging 21.8 points and 7.6 assists. After the season, Davis decided to leave the Warriors. He chose to look for other teams.

Los Angeles Clippers (2008–2011)

On July 1, 2008, Davis agreed to a 5-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. This was his hometown team. He officially signed with them on July 10, 2008. Davis had hoped to play with Elton Brand. But Brand left to sign with another team. Davis said Brand's departure did not change his decision.

Before Davis, the Clippers had not won their division or conference. They had only advanced past the first round of the playoffs twice. Davis promised to change this. Fans were excited to have a star player.

Davis with the ball, defended by Derek Fisher

Davis's first year with the Clippers had many injuries. The team struggled with a 19–63 record. Davis played only 65 games. His scoring and shooting percentage dropped. But he still had some good moments. On November 22, he scored 30 points and had 10 assists. He also had two games with 20 assists.

On November 20, 2009, Baron reached 5,000 career assists. In his third year, a healthy Davis played well. He played alongside young stars like Blake Griffin. Davis showed the talent that made the Clippers sign him. However, disagreements with coaches and the team's owner led to a change. The Clippers decided to rebuild their team.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2011)

On February 24, 2011, Davis was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. This trade reunited him with his former coach, Byron Scott. Davis said, "I know we're together for a reason." He chose to wear number 85. This honored his grandparents who raised him. Their house was on 85th Street. In his first game with the Cavs, he scored 18 points.

The Cavaliers had the worst record in the NBA at the time. They had a record-setting 26-game losing streak. But Davis helped them win several games to end the season. This included a 102–90 upset win over LeBron James and the Miami Heat. This ensured Cleveland did not finish with the worst record.

On December 14, 2011, the Cavaliers released Davis. They used a special rule called the amnesty clause. He still received the $30 million left on his contract. But it did not count against Cleveland's team salary limit. The Cavaliers wanted to give the starting point guard spot to Kyrie Irving. This allowed Davis to look for a starting job on a team that could win a championship.

New York Knicks (2011–2012)

On December 19, 2011, Davis signed a one-year contract with the New York Knicks. He chose New York over the Lakers and Heat. At the time, Davis had a back injury. He did not play for the Knicks until February 20, 2012. He came off the bench and scored a three-pointer.

Davis with the New York Knicks in 2012

Davis became the Knicks' starting point guard. This happened after Jeremy Lin suffered a season-ending injury. Davis also started all four playoff games he played in. On May 6, 2012, during a playoff game, Davis injured his right knee. He was taken off the court on a stretcher. An MRI showed serious tears in his knee ligaments. He had surgery to repair them.

Delaware 87ers (2016)

Davis became a free agent in 2012. He was expected to be out until May 2013 due to his surgery. He returned to basketball in July 2015. He scored 44 points in the Drew League. He then said he wanted to return to the NBA. On January 15, 2016, he signed a contract to play in the NBA Development League. On March 2, the Delaware 87ers acquired him. Two days later, he played his first D-League game. He scored eight points and had four assists. In six games for Delaware, Davis averaged 12.8 points.

Davis played in the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game in 2017. In 2018, he joined 3's Company in the Big3 league. He led his team with 17 points and 9 rebounds in his debut. He finished the 2018 season averaging 15.2 points. He ranked high in steals and three-pointers.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2000	Charlotte	4	0	14.3	.435	.167	.500	1.5	1.5	1.0	.0	5.8
2001	Charlotte	10	10	39.7	.480	.400	.714	4.4	5.8	2.8*	.5	17.8
2002	Charlotte	9	9	44.6	.378	.339	.597	7.0	7.9	3.6*	.6	22.6
2003	New Orleans	5	5	38.8	.446	.343	.727	3.6	8.4	1.4	.4	20.4
2004	New Orleans	7	7	37.1	.377	.327	.758	4.1	7.0	1.6	.7	18.1
2007	Golden State	11	11	40.5	.513	.373	.770	4.5	6.5	2.9*	.6	25.3
2012	New York	4	4	24.3	.478	.286	1.000	.8	3.3	.0	.0	7.8
Career		50	46	37.0	.442	.350	.709	4.3	6.2	2.3	.5	18.8

Awards and Honors

NBA

• 2× NBA All-Star (2002, 2004)
• All-NBA Third Team (2004)
• 2× NBA steals leader (2004, 2007)
• NBA Skills Challenge champion (2004)

College

• AP Third-team All-American (1999)
• First-team All-Pac-10 (1999)
• Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (1998)
• Pac-10 All-Freshman Team (1998)
• Great Alaska Shootout All-Tournament Team
• UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame (2016)

High School

• Gatorade Player of the Year (1997)
• McDonald's All-American (1997)
• California Mr. Basketball (1997)

Life After Basketball

Broadcasting Career

Since 2017, Davis has been a regular panelist on NBA on TNT's "Players Only." This show features only former NBA players as analysts. Starting in 2025, Davis will host an interview series. It is called "Raiders: Talk of the Nation" for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Film and Business Ventures

Davis speaking in 2008

Baron Davis has also worked in the film industry. He plans to make it a full-time career. He has acted in movies like The Cookout. He also guest-starred on TV shows like Lincoln Heights. He has produced several films. In 2005, Davis and his friend Cash Warren started a company. It is called Verso Entertainment.

Davis appeared on the DVD commentary for the 2008 film Step Brothers. He also appeared as himself on the show Hot In Cleveland. In 2012, he was in the film That's My Boy. He played a gym teacher. In 2015, he was in Sin City Saints and The Night Before. He also played a doctor in Joe Dirt 2.

In 2015, Davis co-starred in "Uncle Drew" episodes. These were Pepsi Max advertisements. In 2017, Davis appeared in the Chinese film My Other Home. He stars in the TV sitcom "The Baron Davis Show" on the Fuse channel. It premiered on January 20, 2019. In 2019, Davis was an executive producer for the film Senior Love Triangle. In 2023, Davis starred as himself in Joy Ride.

In 2012, Davis started a gaming company. It is called 5 Balloons Interactive. They make games for mobile devices. In 2016, Davis created the Black Santa Company. This company promotes African American stories. It also sells various products. In 2019, Davis joined an advisory board for a beverage company. He also invested in Metropolis Technologies in 2021.

Personal Life

On January 30, 2014, Baron Davis married Isabella Brewster. She is the sister of actress Jordana Brewster. They welcomed their first child in April 2014. In January 2016, they had their second child.

See also

In Spanish: Baron Davis para niños

• List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders
• List of National Basketball Association annual steals leaders
• List of National Basketball Association single-game assists leaders