Known as “The Godfather of Los Angeles Basketball,” Baron Davis went from an elite prep athlete to an NBA All-Star who spent 15 years playing on the pro level. During his NBA career, Davis averaged 16.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. He also shot at 40.9 percent from the field and 32.0 percent from the three-point line.
Davis is a native of South Central Los Angeles, living near Manchester Blvd and San Pedro with his grandparents. He started playing basketball at the age of four and would compete against his older cousins.
He eventually got the attention of legendary Crossroads boys basketball coach Daryl Roper and decided to attend the Santa Monica school. His entire AAU team also attended Crossroads; during his middle school years, Davis was scoring around 50 points per game.
His middle school efforts put Davis on the Crossroads varsity boys’ basketball team as a freshman. By his junior year, Crossroads was a contending force in Southern California. The roadrunners stormed through the Southern Section division IVA playoffs and defeated Verbum Dei 88-71 to win the title in 1996.
As a senior, Crossroads evolved into one of the strongest boys’ basketball programs in the nation. They were invited to the elite Myrtle Beach Ball Classic Tournament and won the championship round. Davis was named Gatorade National Player of the Year and McDonalds All-American soon after.
Davis decided to attend UCLA and quickly made strong contributions to the Bruins men’s basketball team. He led the team in assists with 5.0 per game while scoring 11.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game; he was considered the top true freshman guard in the nation.
The Bruins awarded him the Seymour Armond Memorial Award for Most Valuable Freshman Player. He was also named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and he earned a spot on the Pac-10 All-Freshman team. Although an ACL injury halted his freshman campaign, it did not keep him from competing the next season.
After giving UCLA 13.6 points and 5.1 assists per game, Davis was acquired by the Charlotte Hornets as the third overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. He helped the team to three Playoffs appearances before he traveled with the franchise to New Orleans.
In 2002, Davis played for Team USA in the FIBA World Championship. Davis then played for the Golden State Warriors from 2005-2008. He took the Warriors to the Playoffs in 2007 and averaged 25.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 2.9 steals.
In 2008, Davis returned to his hometown to play for the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite playing well alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, he endured several injuries and was oppressed by former owner Donald Sterling. He also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks.
In 2015, Davis competed in the Drew League and created the documentary “The Drew: No Excuse, Just Produce.” He also played for the team Three’s Company in The Big3 League.
In 2016, Davis also started the Black Santa Company, a media company that reflects the diversity of America through their characters and merchandise. Crossroads inducted Davis into their Hall of Fame in 2014.
