Davis starts NBA comeback with D-League's Red Claws

Share

Ricky Davis ran through shootaround like he had done hundreds of times before. Only this morning, he wasnt preparing for just any basketball game.

Davis was getting ready to begin his comeback to the NBA, starting on the road in Canton, Ohio for his debut with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League.

Its my first morning practice since I left the (Los Angeles) Clippers two, three years ago, Davis told CSNNE.com in a telephone interview on Thursday. It felt great.

The 32-year-old guard joined the Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, and Philadelphia 76ers D-League affiliate on Wednesday. He had not played in an NBA game since February 9, 2010 when he scored four points for the Clippers during a loss to the Utah Jazz. He was waived one week later.

After being cut by the Clippers, Davis (who also played for the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, and Minnesota Timberwolves) traveled to Turkey to play overseas. But a nagging pain in his left knee that he had been battling during his time with the Clippers continued to bother him in Europe.

He returned to the United States and contemplated retirement after 12 years in the NBA.

My knee was hurting so bad. I lost my explosiveness and I wasnt really able to do what I wanted to, said Davis, who averaged 13.5 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.5 rebounds over 736 NBA games. It was just kind of like I was a person out there knowing what I could do and knowing what I used to do, and getting out there and not being able to do it, its kind of the part that hits you deep in your soul.

Davis had previously been told the pain was caused by tendonitis. Seeking one last opinion before he decided whether or not to hang it up, he made an appointment with a specialist when he came back from Turkey. Within ten minutes, he says, the doctor saw a patella tear.

The diagnosis was the best news Davis had heard in a while. It gave him hope for a return to basketball.

He underwent surgery and after rehabbing his knee, played in China and France. What he originally thought would be his final games turned out to be the beginning of a new opportunity in basketball.

I only went to play overseas because I thought I was hurting and I thought it was the down of my career, Davis said. I was going to go over there for two or three more years and just end my career. But now that I know what I felt and that I wasnt done and that it could have been fixed, now its like a new life. Going out there this second road again, it feels good knowing that Im just 32 and Ive got a lot of bounce in my step now.

As Davis begins his quest back to the NBA, being faced with the possibility of never being able to play basketball again has made him stronger.

It was tough, he said. It was very humbling. I think it gave me the chance to put my life in perspective. It gave me a chance to bring Jesus in my life and pray about it and finally get the grown man perspective on life. I think maybe I needed that in my life to humble me and get me back on the path I needed to go.

For Davis, the grown man perspective focuses on humbleness, the importance of being a good teammate, and taking things one day at a time. He hopes to share that with the Red Claws and their community this season. For his first game, he arranged for ten children from a local church to attend the match up.

And while Davis looks to help the Red Claws and take his experience with them one game at a time, he feels he still has unfinished business in the NBA. One place he would like to take care of it is with his former team, the Celtics.

Davis played for the Celtics from 2003 through 2006 before being traded to the Timberwolves as part of the Wally Szczerbiak deal. Five years and three NBA teams later, Davis would still like to return to Boston.

Oh yeah definitely. No hesitation at all, he said. Those guys over there, theyre class acts. Doc Rivers is easily probably one of the best coaches Ive ever played for. Hes the one that kind of started the team thing with me, bringing me off the bench and teaching me different kinds of things in the game. That would be a great blessing for me to go back to Boston and get my Bucket Brigade going again (laughs).

Davis recorded six points (3-8 FG), four assists, two rebounds, and two steals in his debut with the Red Claws on Thursday night against the Canton Charge. Even though his game is still similar to what it was the last time he played in the NBA, his injuries have forced him to make slight adjustments that he finds helpful on the court.

My games pretty much the same. Maybe about one or two inches off my vertical now (laughs) but its great, he said. Now that Ive been injured I think its helped me put my game in an all-around situation -- not going to dunk on people, I have to make the open pass; not using my explosiveness and using my brain. Now that Ive got my explosiveness back and my brain, I think it could be really, really good for me.

He looks forward to the day when he can step on to an NBA court and prove it.

Oh yeah, Ive got a lot to show, he said. I was holding back and Im ready. Im ready.

Contact Us