L.A.-native Baron Davis brought a steady swagger to the league during his 13-year NBA career.
Drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the No. 3 pick of the 1999 NBA Draft out of UCLA, Davis dazzled the league with a unique blend of size and speed. He earned the starting point guard job in Charlotte during his second season, posting averages of 13.8 points, 7.3 assists, five rebounds and 2.1 assists as a 21-year-old. He was named to his first of two All-Star teams during the 2001-02 season.
After five-plus seasons with the Hornets, Davis was traded to Golden State. In the 2006-07 postseason, Davis helped lead the No. 8-seeded “We Believe” Warriors to a first-round playoff upset of the No. 1-seeded Dallas Mavericks in six games. Davis was vital to Golden State during the series, averaging 25.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.8 steals.
As a free agent in 2008, Davis returned to Los Angeles to play with the Clippers. He spent two-plus season with the Clippers before being dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011. After a final NBA season with the New York Knicks in 2011-12, Davis retired in 2012 with career averages of 16.1 points, 7.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals.
* * *