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Anthony Marshon Davis Jr. (born March 11, 1993), nicknamed "AD", is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played for the New Orleans Pelicans. He plays the power forward and center positions. Davis is a nine-time NBA All-Star and has been named to four All-NBA First Teams and five NBA All-Defensive Teams. In his first season with the Lakers, he won the 2020 NBA Finals. In 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.[1] He also won the inaugural NBA Cup in 2023 with the Lakers. Davis is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time.[2][3][4][5]
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. He has since become the youngest player to score at least 59 points in an NBA game. In 2017, he was named the recipient of the NBA All-Star Game MVP Award after setting an All-Star Game scoring record of 52 points. Davis was traded to the Lakers in 2019. He has won gold medals with the United States national team on their 2012 Olympic team, 2014 World Cup team and 2024 Olympic team, making him the first player in basketball history to win an NCAA title, NBA title, Olympic gold medal and FIBA World Cup.
- ^ "NBA 75th Anniversary Team announced". NBA.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
- ^ "20 greatest power forwards ever: The HoopsHype list". HoopsHype.com. November 21, 2021. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
- ^ Pavlakos, Louis (January 1, 2024). "Ranking the best power forwards in NBA history". GiveMeSport.com. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ Fujita, Scott (November 10, 2022). "The Best Power Forwards In NBA History: All-Time Rankings". ScottFujita.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
- ^ Bailey, Andy (June 18, 2024). "Ranking the Top 50 NBA Playoff Performers of All Time". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 22, 2024.