Belgium in World War II

Despite being neutral at the start of World War II, Belgium and its colonial possessions found themselves at war after the country was invaded by German forces on 10 May 1940. After 18 days of fighting in which Belgian forces were pushed back into a small pocket in the north-west of the country, the Belgian military surrendered to the Germans, beginning an occupation that would endure until 1944. The surrender of 28 May was ordered by King Leopold III without the consultation of his government and sparked a political crisis after the war. Despite the capitulation, many Belgians managed to escape to the United Kingdom where they formed a government and army-in-exile on the Allied side.

The Belgian Congo remained loyal to the Belgian government in London and contributed significant material and human resources to the Allied cause. Many Belgians were involved in both armed and passive resistance to German forces, although some chose to collaborate with the German forces. Support from far right political factions and sections of the Belgian population allowed the German army to recruit two divisions of the Waffen-SS from Belgium and also facilitated the Nazi persecution of Belgian Jews in which nearly 25,000 were killed.

Most of the country was liberated by the Allies between September and October 1944, though areas in the far east of the country remained occupied until early 1945. In total, approximately 88,000 Belgians died during the conflict, a figure representing 1.05 percent of the country's pre-war population, and around 8 percent of the country's GDP was destroyed.

## Background

During the 1930s, Belgium was still recovering from the destruction of World War I. Economically, Belgium was experiencing high unemployment in the aftermath of the Great Depression of 1929, and by 1932 unemployment stood at 23.5 percent though under the "New Deal-style" Plan de Man this had been reduced to around 15 percent by 1937.

The 1930s also saw the growth of several authoritarian and fascist political parties in both Wallonia and Flanders. In the 1936 elections, one of these, the Rexist party, gained 11.6 percent of the national vote. By 1939 however, extremist parties lost many of the seats that they had previously gained in new elections and political stability seemed to be returning.

### Neutrality

As Belgium had suffered so much damage in World War I, there was little appetite within the country to involve itself in any potential European conflict. In October 1936, King Leopold III announced that Belgium would remain neutral in the event of another war in Europe as part of what he termed an Independent Policy (Politique d'Indépendance). To this end, the Belgian government tried to steer a path away from alliances: leaving the Locarno Treaty, repudiating a defence pact with France signed in 1920 and receiving a guarantee of neutrality from Nazi Germany in 1937.

> The German Government considers that the inviolability and integrity of Belgium are common interests of the Western Powers. It confirms its determination that in no circumstances will it impair this inviolability and integrity and that it will at all times respect Belgian territory ...

During this period, the Belgian military was reorganized as an exclusively defensive force and began construction and modernization of fortifications around the country, particularly around Liège Province near the German border.

On the declaration of war between the United Kingdom, France, and Germany in September 1939, the Belgian government launched a crash re-armament program, augmenting the national defenses by creating the K-W Line linking the National Redoubt at Antwerp with the south along the River Dijle, just behind the main Fortified Position of Liège.

## 18 Days' Campaign

With the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, although still following a policy of neutrality, the Belgian government began general mobilization. By 1940, the army numbered between 600,000 and 650,000 men (nearly 20 percent of the male population of Belgium) making it approximately four times larger than the British Expeditionary Force and twice as large as the Dutch army at the time.

The invasion of Belgium by Nazi Germany started on May 10, 1940, under the codename Fall Gelb ("Case Yellow") as part of the wider invasion of France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The Belgian Albert Canal fortifications, some of the most modern defensive networks in Europe, proved almost useless. At Eben-Emael, the fort held by 1,200 Belgians was taken when the Germans deployed 500 glider-borne Fallschirmjäger against them, opening the border for Blitzkrieg-style warfare. Almost all of the air force's modern Hurricane fighters were also destroyed by the Luftwaffe on the ground at Schaffen airfield on May 10.

The German breakthrough at Sedan, which had been thought impassable, meant that defenders of the K-W Line risked being outflanked, and had to withdraw on 16 May. The German invasion triggered a panic amongst Belgian civilians in the path of the advancing German army. By 11 May, the roads leading westwards, away from the fighting, were blocked by refugees, hampering the eastward advance of French and British forces. It is estimated that around two million civilians fled their homes during the campaign.

The government's policy of neutrality had left Belgium with an outdated and ill-equipped army and air force. Above all, the army possessed only 16 battle tanks between its two cavalry divisions for political reasons as they had been considered too "aggressive" for the army of a neutral power. The air force, hurriedly reorganised in May 1940, was taken by surprise and could only field 180 serviceable aircraft out of its total of 234.

The military held out against German forces for 18 days, against overwhelming odds. On 28 May, forced into a small pocket along the Leie river and after failed attempts to broker a ceasefire on the 27th, the Belgian king and military surrendered unconditionally. Belgian casualties during the campaign numbered some 6,000 killed and 15,850 wounded. Some 112,500 French and Belgian troops escaped to the UK via Dunkirk but the majority of the Belgian survivors were made prisoners of war and many were not released until the end of the war.

With the surrender of the Belgian army, the government, led by Hubert Pierlot, fled first to Paris and formed a government in exile in Bordeaux. After the Fall of France, the government transferred to Eaton Square, London.

### Surrender of Leopold III

Leopold III, king and commander in chief of the Belgian army, surrendered personally to German forces on 28 May, contrary to the advice of Pierlot's government, having personally decided that the Allied cause was lost. His decision was fiercely criticized by the French prime minister, Paul Reynaud and by Pierlot in a radio broadcast on 28 June 1940, where he declared Leopold's decision to be "an event without precedent in history".

The king remained in Belgium during the war as a German prisoner while the government went into exile and continued military action in the Allied cause. Unlike the Netherlands and Luxembourg where the monarchy was repressed or had joined the government in exile, Leopold III remained prominent in the occupied territory, and coins and stamps produced during the occupation continued to carry his face or monogram. Nevertheless, Leopold remained a focus for resistance, his position explained by the slogan "Belgium is captive! Long live Belgium! The King is captive! Long live the King!" While imprisoned, he sent a letter to Adolf Hitler in 1942 which has been credited with saving an estimated 500,000 Belgian women and children from forced deportation to munitions factories in Germany. In November 1940, Leopold visited Hitler in Berchtesgaden where he asked for Belgian prisoners of war to be freed.

After the war, allegations that Leopold's surrender had been an act of collaboration provoked a political crisis, known as the Royal Question, about whether he could return to the throne, which ultimately ended with his abdication.

## German occupation

### Life in occupied Belgium

Belgium was run by a German military government under General Alexander von Falkenhausen and Eggert Reeder until July 1944, and then by Reichskommissar Josef Grohé until liberation. The German government levied the costs of the military occupation on the Belgians through taxes, while also demanding "external occupation costs" (or "Anti-Bolshevik charge") to support operations elsewhere. In total, Belgium was forced to pay nearly two-thirds of its national income for these charges, a figure equaling 5.7 billion Reichsmarks.

As in all occupied countries in Europe, food, fuel and clothing were strictly rationed by the German authorities. Even with the stringent rationing, the food and materials which civilians should officially have been entitled to were not always available. A significant black market also existed in the country, supplying food illegally at very high prices to those that could afford it. Information and the press were strictly controlled by the German government and news was greatly restricted. Nevertheless, the sales of collaborationist newspapers like Le Soir and the newspapers of pro-collaborationist political parties like Le Pays Réel remained high. A large number of underground newspapers were also published and distributed – the underground paper La Libre Belgique achieved a circulation of 30,000.

Occupied Belgium was also targeted by the Allied bombers from both the British RAF and American USAAF. The policy led to high civilian casualties as bombs missed their intended targets and fell on civilian areas. In a raid on the Erla Motor Works in the Belgian town of Mortsel (near Antwerp) in April 1943, just two bombs dropped by the B-17s of the U.S. 8th Air Force fell on the intended target. The remaining 24 tons of bombs fell on civilian areas of the town, killing 936 and injuring 1,600 more in just eight minutes. The Allied policy was condemned by many leading figures within Belgium, including Cardinal van Roey.

Around 375,000 Belgians also served in labour programs within Germany during the war, working in manual jobs in industry or agriculture for the German war effort. Though nearly 180,000 Belgians signed up before conscription began in 1941, most were conscripted after that date and worked as forced labour against their will.

200,000 Belgian military prisoners of war, who had been captured in 1940, were also transported to Germany. Most were used as forced labour and paid only a nominal sum. About 80,000 (mainly Flemish) prisoners were returned to Belgium between late 1940 and 1941, but many remained in captivity until the end of the war. They were often kept in very poor conditions and around 2,000 died.

### Collaboration

During the period of Nazi occupation, some Belgians collaborated with their occupiers. There were pro-Nazi political organizations in both Flemish and Walloon communities before and during the war. The most significant were DeVlag, Verdinaso and Vlaams Nationaal Verbond (VNV) in Flanders as well as the Catholic Rex movement in Wallonia. Each of these movements had subtly different ideologies, their own paramilitary forces and printed their own newspapers. These organisations were also instrumental in encouraging Belgians to enlist into the German Army. Unlike the German-style National Socialist agenda of DeVlag, VNV appealed directly to a Flemish separatist agenda, though this message was never the main source of their popularity. Infighting between the groups, particularly VNV and DeVlag, was considerable.

On the whole, the Belgian administrative system was very pliant and became an instrument of collaboration. In a 2007 report by a Belgian research institute, Cegesoma, a panel of historians concluded that Belgium had offered "maximum administrative collaboration" with the German occupation forces. The same report also commented on the apparently higher levels of collaboration in Flanders as part of an attempted integration into a "German-Flemish New Order". The towns of Brussels and Liège, the report added, "remained [generally] patriotic-Belgian and decisively hostile to Germany". The report also found that many Belgian authorities had been compliant, even active, in the deportation of Jews.

Two separate units of the Waffen-SS, the Flemish Legion and the Walloon Legion, were recruited from Belgium during the occupation. Léon Degrelle, founder of the Rexist Party, served as commander of the Walloon Legion, which fought against the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe. A total of 15,000 Belgians in the "divisions" (neither ever greater than brigade strength) fought on the Eastern Front where the Walloon Legion was nearly annihilated in the Korsun–Cherkassy Pocket in 1944.

After the war, a total of 400,000 Belgians were investigated for collaboration. Of these, around 56,000 were prosecuted. The majority received prison sentences although several hundred were executed.

### Resistance

Resistance to German occupation came from all levels and regions of Belgium and quarters of the political spectrum, but was highly fragmented and localised. The government in exile dealt only with sympathetic resistance groups, like the Armée Secrète; however, even these umbrella organisations had many different agendas or political ideologies. Some groups were very left-wing, like the Communist Partisans armés, but there were also right-wing resistance movements, like the monarchist Mouvement National Royaliste and the fascist Légion Belge, created by members of the pre-war Légion Nationale movement. There were also other groups like Groupe G which had no obvious political affiliation.

Resistance to the occupiers chiefly came in the form of helping Allied airmen escape, and numerous lines were set up to organise this effort; for instance the Comet line which evacuated an estimated 700 Allied servicemen to Gibraltar. The Comet Line had a series of safe houses throughout Belgium. Allied airmen were given civilian clothes and were frequently moved from house to house, staying with Belgian families who supported the resistance. The resistance would aid the airmen by giving them false papers and guiding them to either neutral or Allied occupied territory.

As elsewhere, sabotage was employed against enemy military and economic assets, with railway lines and bridges being common targets. The activities of Groupe G, a small student resistance cell based in Brussels, alone are estimated to have cost the Nazis 10 million man-hours of labour to repair damages done. Direct attacks on German troops and military installations were rarer, yet one estimate puts the number of German soldiers killed by the Belgian resistance in 1941 as higher than in all of France.

The resistance were instrumental in saving Jews and Roma from deportation to death camps, for instance the attack on the "Twentieth convoy" to Auschwitz. Many Belgians also hid Jews and political dissidents during the occupation, with one estimate putting the number at some 20,000 people hidden during the war. There was also significant low-level resistance, for instance in June 1941, the City Council of Brussels refused to distribute Stars of David badges. Certain high-profile members of the Belgian establishment, including Queen Elizabeth and Cardinal van Roey, Archbishop of Malines, spoke out against the German treatment of Jews. So far, 1,612 Belgians have been awarded the distinction of "Righteous Among the Nations" by the State of Israel for risking their lives to save Jews from persecution during the occupation.

Nevertheless, Belgian civilians were often subject to retaliation by paramilitaries and German forces for resistance activity. In August 1944, 20 civilians were killed by Rexist paramilitaries in a reprisal for a single attack on a Rexist politician in the Courcelles Massacre.

### The Holocaust

In mid-1940, nearly 57,000 Jews were living in Belgium out of a population of roughly 8 million. Many had fled to Belgium to escape recent persecution in Germany and elsewhere, meaning that only a minority were Belgian citizens. Most of the Jewish population was focused in communities in the towns of Brussels and Antwerp.

Anti-Jewish legislation (along the lines of the German Nuremberg Laws or French laws on the status of Jews) was enacted in October 1940, a few months after the German occupation. Several pogroms took place in 1941, notably in Antwerp, and economic assets belonging to Jews were seized. In May 1942, wearing of the yellow Star-of-David badge became compulsory for Jews in Belgium.

From June 1942, as part of the "Final Solution", Jews living in Belgium were ordered to report to the Mechelen transit camp. Those who did not do so voluntarily were rounded up by the police. Between August 1942 and July 1944, a total of twenty-six railway convoys deported 25,000 Jews and 350 Roma from Belgium to eastern Europe. Most were sent to the Auschwitz death camp, although others went to camps at Bergen-Belsen and Vittel.

Of the 25,000 deported, over 24,000 were killed. Fewer than 1,000 were still alive by the time Allied forces liberated the camps.

The former Belgian army fort at Breendonk, near Mechelen, was requisitioned by the Nazis and used for detainment and interrogation of Jews, political prisoners and captured members of the resistance. Of the 3,500 people incarcerated in Breendonk between 1940 and 1944, 1,733 died. Around 300 people were killed in the camp itself, with at least 98 of them dying from deprivation or torture.

## Belgian government and army in exile

After the defeat in 1940, significant numbers of Belgian soldiers and civilians escaped to Britain who, along with Belgian pre-war émigrés in Britain and Canada, formed the Belgian forces in exile. The Belgian government, including ministers from Catholic, Socialist and Liberal parties under Hubert Pierlot, evacuated to London alongside other governments from occupied countries (including the Netherlands and Luxembourg) where it remained until the liberation of Belgium in 1944.

The government in exile claimed the authority to speak for the whole of Belgium, leading the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paul-Henri Spaak, to comment that "all that remains of legal and free Belgium, all that is entitled to speak in her name, is in London". A Belgian politician, Victor de Laveleye, is also credited with inspiring the Allied "V for Victory" propaganda campaign in 1941. The Belgium government in exile declared war on the Empire of Japan on 20 December 1941.

In a broadcast on French Radio, Pierlot called for the creation of an army in exile to continue the fight:

> With the same youthful courage that responded to the government's call, reunited with the elements of the Belgian military in France and Great Britain, a new army will be levied and organized. It will go into the line alongside those of our allies ... all the forces we have will be put at the service of the cause which has become ours ... It is important to assure immediately and in a tangible way, the solidarity which continues to unite the powers which have given us their support ...

By 1944, the Free Belgian forces in the United Kingdom numbered some 4,500 men. Belgian soldiers formed the 1st Belgian Infantry Brigade (which also included an artillery battery of soldiers from Luxembourg) more often known as the Brigade Piron after its commanding officer, Jean-Baptiste Piron. The Brigade Piron was involved in the Normandy Invasion and the battles in France and the Netherlands until liberation.

Belgians also served in British special forces units during the war, forming a troop of No.10 (Inter-Allied) Commando, which was involved in the Italian Campaign and the Landings on Walcheren. The 5th Special Air Service (part of the élite SAS) was made up entirely of Belgians and was the first Allied unit to enter Belgium in September 1944.

400 Belgian pilots served in the Royal Air Force. Two all-Belgian fighter units, Nos. 349 and 350 Squadrons, served in the European theatre. No. 350 Squadron alone claimed 51 "kills" between its formation in November 1941 and the end of the war. In total, 1,200 Belgians served in the RAF, mainly in British or Free Dutch squadrons.

Two corvettes and a group of minesweepers were also operated by the Belgians during the Battle of the Atlantic. By 1943, 350 Belgians were serving as sailors on these vessels.

## Belgian Congo

Despite Belgium's occupation, the Belgian Congo remained loyal to the government in exile and was put at the disposal of the Allies, making a significant contribution to the Allied war effort.

Congolese soldiers of the Force Publique were involved in fighting with Italian forces during the East African Campaign and were instrumental to forcing Italian forces out of Abyssinia, suffering 500 casualties. 13,000 Congolese troops served under British command in Nigeria. Detachments of Congolese soldiers also served in the Middle East and Burma. In total, the Force Publique comprised approximately 40,000 men and was racially segregated meaning that blacks could not become officers. Throughout the war, therefore, it was commanded by white officers.

Twice, in 1941 and 1944, major strikes took place in towns around the country against the extra pressure put on workers by the colonial authorities. The Force Publique garrison in Luluabourg also mutinied in 1944. These were repressed by military force, often violently.

The Congo was also a vitally important economic asset to the Allied powers. The Congo's gold alone contributed some \$28.5 million to the Allied war effort, while its exports of rubber and uranium provided vital sources of raw materials. Most of the uranium used during the American Manhattan Project – including that used for the nuclear weapons dropped on the Japanese towns of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – was supplied by the Belgian firm Union Minière du Haut Katanga from Katanga Province in the Belgian Congo.

## Liberation

Belgium was liberated in September 1944 by the Allied forces, including British, Canadian, and American armies, which also included the Brigade Piron. On September 3, 1944, the Welsh Guards liberated Brussels. Just after the liberation, the inhabitants of the Marolles district held a mock funeral for Hitler.

The port of Antwerp was an important strategic objective because Allied supply lines were heavily stretched and needed a deep-sea port near the front lines. The British Second Army liberated Antwerp on September 6, with help from the local resistance. Despite taking control of the city, the port was not accessible until the surrounding waters were safe for cargo ships. The Germans successfully denied access to the port until the Battle of the Scheldt completed in November.

Leopold III's brother, Charles, the Count of Flanders, was appointed Regent, pending a decision about whether the King would be able to regain his former position on the throne. In February 1945, Achille Van Acker replaced Pierlot as Prime Minister. The resistance was disarmed, and many of its members and other Belgians who had remained in the country during the occupation were mobilised into the regular Belgian army in 57 "Fusilier Battalions". These battalions served in several battles on the western front. 100,000 Belgians were fighting in the Allied armies by VE Day.

General Courtney Hodges' U.S. First Army liberated the region south of Brussels and Maastricht in early September 1944. While two corps of the First Army were concentrated elsewhere, VIII Corps occupied a long stretch of the front from the area south of Liège, across the Ardennes and into Luxembourg. The length of the deployment meant that the Corps' front line was only lightly defended, leaving it vulnerable.

Following a few months of relative calm in Belgium, on 16 December 1944 the Germans launched the Ardennes Offensive with over a quarter of a million soldiers. Antwerp was the ultimate objective of the German offensive, but the German advance stalled before the Meuse River, at Celles near Dinant, and was pushed back in furious fighting over a period of six weeks in bitterly cold weather by American, British and Belgian troops. Belgian towns and civilians in the Ardennes suffered during the offensive as homes were reduced to ruins, and there were instances of German troops shooting civilians. Around 90% of the town of La Roche-en-Ardenne was destroyed during fighting. By 4 February 1945, the country was reported to be free of German troops.

In the six months following Allied liberation, Belgian towns were widely targeted by the unpiloted German V-Bombs. A total of 2,342 of these rockets (1610 of the more advanced V-2s and about 732 V-1s) fell in a 10-mile radius around Antwerp alone. A post-war SHAEF report estimated V-Bombs had been responsible for killing 5,000 people and injuring a further 21,000, mostly in the cities of Liège and Antwerp.

The period after liberation also saw a wave of prosecutions of those suspected of collaboration during the war. 400,000 Belgians were investigated for collaboration of whom 56,000 were prosecuted. Nearly 250 were executed. Léon Degrelle, despite being sentenced to death, managed to escape to Francoist Spain where he remained until his death in 1994.

## Legacy and aftermath

After the experience of World War II, Belgium abandoned its neutral stance in international politics, in favour of military, political and economic integration. In 1949, Belgium joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and deployed troops to fight alongside other United Nations forces in the Korean War in 1950. Belgium was also a key player in the unsuccessful negotiations about the creation of a European Defence Community (EDC) in the 1950s. Belgium was assigned a sector of the British zone in West Germany, around the city of Cologne, which it occupied from 1945. Belgian soldiers remained in Germany until their final withdrawal in 2002.

Economically, Belgium joined the Benelux Economic Union in 1948 and was a founding member of the European Coal and Steel Community from its creation in 1952. From 1944 until 1960, Belgium also experienced a period of rapid economic recovery, dubbed the "Belgian Miracle", partially as a result of the Marshall Plan.

The political crisis surrounding Leopold III's role during the occupation, and whether he could return to the throne, polarized Belgian public opinion in the years following the war between Catholics, notably in Flanders, who broadly supported his return, and Socialists, in Wallonia and Brussels, who were strongly opposed to it. After a general strike and an indecisive referendum, the king resigned in favour of his son, Baudouin, in 1950.

### Commemoration

In the decades following the war, large numbers of public memorials were erected around the country in memory of Belgian soldiers who had died fighting for the Allied cause during the conflict. There are numerous monuments and streets dedicated to Allied politicians and generals, including Franklin Roosevelt and Bernard Montgomery in Brussels. The large numbers of British and American cemeteries and memorials, particularly in the Ardennes region associated with the Battle of the Bulge, meant that the legacy of the war was very visible.

In common with other countries, there are numerous veterans' associations (known as "Fraternelle" or "Amicale" in French) and Belgian towns, particularly Bastogne, are frequently visited by veterans from other countries. There are also numerous war museums around the country, including the Royal Museum of the Army and Military History in Brussels, which aim to inform the public about the war. The Holocaust is commemorated in Belgium by both memorials and museums; the prison at Fort Breendonk has been preserved as a museum and has been open to the public since 1947. Since the passing of the Holocaust denial law in 1995, it is illegal to deny the holocaust.

The participation of soldiers from the Belgian Congo was, however, largely forgotten following Congolese independence in 1960 and decades of subsequent war. In recent years the profile of the veterans has been raised by exhibitions creating greater public awareness.

## See also

- Order of battle of armour units of the Belgian Army in May 1940
- Faux Soir – a 1943 resistance spoof of the collaborationist newspaper Le Soir
- Commemorative Medal of the War 1940–1945 – medal awarded to all Belgian veterans of the war
- Belgian annexation plans after the Second World War
- The Sorrow of Belgium – a novel by the Flemish writer Hugo Claus about growing up in occupied Belgium.
- Belgium in World War I
- History of Belgium

Involvement of Belgium in World War II


Anthony Davis

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 an eight-time NBA All-Star and has been named to four All-NBA First Teams and four 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. Davis is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time.

Davis played one season of college basketball for the University of Kentucky, 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 and 2014 World Cup team, making him the first player in basketball history to win an NCAA title, NBA title, Olympic gold medal and FIBA World Cup.

## High school career

Born in Chicago, Davis grew up in the Englewood neighborhood and played high school basketball for Perspectives Charter School, where he had attended school since sixth grade. The team plays in the Blue Division of the Chicago Public High School League, which is ignored by the media because of its lower level of competition. Perspectives is a charter school that operates as a math and science academy; it has a strong academic reputation, but minimal athletic success. The school had no gymnasium and Davis's middle school basketball teams practiced at the nearby Second Presbyterian Church in Chicago's historic South Loop District. In junior high school, he was known as "the little guy who would shoot threes from the corner". He ended his freshman year at a height of 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m). By the beginning of his sophomore year, he had grown another 1 inch (2.5 cm), and he finished the year at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m).

Davis began his junior basketball season at 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m), saying he felt fortunate to have had such a rapid growth spurt without any knee pains. During his junior year, his family considered having him transfer to one of Chicago's basketball powerhouses, but Hyde Park Career Academy head coach Donnie Kirksey advised against it, saying "If you're good enough, they'll find you wherever you are". Perspectives finished the season 8–15. Although he remained unnoticed nationally and locally after three seasons of Chicago Public League play, he was soon thereafter rated as the number one player in the class of 2011 by Scout.com and was listed in the ESPNU 100. Attention came when he started playing on Tai Streets' Meanstreets (AAU team) traveling system in the spring of his junior year. In late April, Syracuse University offered him a scholarship. That spring, NBA Top 100 Camp Director Dave Telep invited him to the camp based on his dominant first-half performance of the first game of the Fort Wayne, Indiana Spiece Fieldhouse event. In August 2010, Davis played in the Nike Global Challenge in Hillsboro, Oregon. In the opening game, he had 23 points and 9 rebounds.

Davis verbally committed to Kentucky on August 13, 2010, choosing it over DePaul, Ohio State and Syracuse. On August 24, 2010, he became the number one rated player in the national class of 2011 at Scout.com.

Before Davis committed to Kentucky, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that his father had asked Kentucky for \$200,000 in exchange for a commitment from Davis. The report was initially released on Wednesday August 4, 2010 by Sun-Times reporter Michael O'Brien. Citing "a reliable source", he posted the following text: "Rumors/sources that have Davis choosing Kentucky are also alleging that the commitment cost \$200,000." The sentence was later edited to say "rumors that Davis's commitment is for sale have surfaced since he cut his list of schools down about a month ago." The sentence was removed later that day from the Sun-Times' high school sports website following a threat from a University of Kentucky lawyer. Anthony Davis Sr. declined to speak to the Chicago Tribune on August 4 regarding the allegation; on July 30, however, he denied the allegations to the Sun-Times, stating, "We haven't asked anyone for anything, and no one has offered us anything".

The article was reposted on the Sun-Times' website and included in the print edition on Friday August 6. O'Brien wrote "sources from three separate universities told the Sun-Times that Davis Sr. asked for money in return for his son's commitment, with the amounts ranging from \$125,000 to \$150,000." The University of Kentucky and the Davis family both threatened to sue the Sun-Times over the article; however, no lawsuits were filed by Kentucky or the Davis family. The Davises and Kentucky claim the restated publication was false. Illinois' one-year statute of limitations on libel cases expired before any lawsuits were filed.

Davis signed his National Letter of Intent on November 10, 2010. He began his senior season on the Chicago Sun-Times area 2010 Top 50 list. He was a pre-season first team all-state selection by the Sun-Times. By that time, he stood at 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m). His team's game against Whitney M. Young Magnet High School was nationally televised on ESPNU. Perspectives finished the season with a 6–19 record. Despite his growth, Davis continued to perform aspects of the role of a guard during the season by bringing the ball up the court and shooting outside shots. For the season, he averaged 32 points, 22 rebounds and 7 blocks.

In high school, Davis earned numerous honors for his basketball abilities, including being named to the 2011 McDonald's All-American Game and the 10th annual Jordan Brand Classic. He was a first team USA Today All-USA high school basketball team selection. He was a first-team Parade All-American. He was also a first team All-American selection by SLAM Magazine (along with Gilchrist, Rivers, Beal, Quincy Miller and Marquis Teague) and Dime Magazine (along with Gilchrist, Rivers, Beal and Myles Mack). He was a first team selection to the ESPN Rise boys' high school basketball All-American team. In the statewide voting for Illinois Mr. Basketball by coaches and media, he placed fourth. The Chicago Sun-Times selected him as a Class 3A first team All-State selection. The Chicago Sun-Times selected him as an all-Public League selection. The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association included him in the Class 3A/4A boys all-state first team.

In the March 30, 2011 McDonald's All-American Game, in front of a hometown crowd at the United Center, Davis made his first five field goals on his way to a 14-point, 6-rebound, 2-steal and 4-block performance. In the April 9 Nike Hoops Summit, Davis led the USA Basketball team to a 92–80 victory over the world team with a team-high 10 rebounds to go with 16 points and two blocks. He was named co-MVP of the April 16 Jordan Brand Classic game after posting 29 points (on 13-for-15 shooting), 11 rebounds and four blocks in a losing effort. Davis's 29 points was the second-highest point total in the first 10 years of the Jordan Brand Classic, following only LeBron James's 34-point performance.

## College career

Davis committed to the Kentucky Wildcats, coached by John Calipari. Before his college career began, he was being mentioned as the first overall selection in the 2012 NBA draft. In late February Dick Vitale mentioned the possibility that Davis might complete the men's college basketball awards Grand Slam of National Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft." During the exhibition portion of the season for the 2011–12 Wildcats, Calipari described Davis as follows: "He's 6–10 with a 7–3 wingspan and he can shoot the 3 and dribble the ball and lead the break. . ." Less than a month into the season, ESPN's Andy Katz described him similarly: "Davis offers a multitude of skills for the Wildcats with his ability to block shots, run the floor, score in the low post and face up to the basket." Since Calipari had coached Marcus Camby, who was also a tall shot-blocker, Davis drew comparisons to Camby. ESPN selected Davis as a preseason All-American along with teammate Terrence Jones. Some sources, such as Blue Ribbon, selected Connecticut's Andre Drummond as the preseason Freshman/Newcomer of the Year ahead of Davis, although Davis was the only freshman on the ESPN 10-man preseason team. Davis only received one vote for the Associated Press preseason All-America team.

After most of the pre-conference schedule but before the 2011–12 Southeastern Conference men's basketball schedule, Davis's teammate, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, was mentioned as a possible Southeastern Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year. However, after less than a month of Southeastern Conference play, Davis was not only being mentioned as conference player of the year, but also National Player of the Year. By mid-February, he was considered a National Player of the Year front-runner with his primary competition coming from Thomas Robinson of Kansas. As the season progressed, he continued to battle Robinson while developing a college level offensive game. Davis averaged a double-double and 6.5 blocks in the two games (November 15, 2011 and April 2, 2012) they played against each other, both on neutral courts. Davis led the Wildcats to a perfect 16–0 record in conference play en route to the SEC conference regular season championship. Davis finished the year with averages of 14.2 points per game, 10.4 rebounds per game, 4.7 blocks per game and a field goal percentage of 62.3%. The Wildcats entered the SEC Tournament as heavy favorites and defeated LSU and Florida before losing to the Vanderbilt Commodores in the championship game. Despite the loss, the Wildcats earned the number one overall seed in the 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. In the Wildcats' six NCAA Tournament games, Davis averaged 15.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per game, and led the team to its eighth NCAA championship.

### Honors and awards

#### National

Davis was named the 2012 Sporting News Men's College Basketball Player of the Year. On March 19, he won the US Basketball Writers Association's (USBWA) Robertson trophy. The Commonwealth Athletic Club of Kentucky named Davis the Adolph Rupp Trophy winner on March 22. CBSSports.com recognized Davis as their national player of the year. On March 30, he became the second freshman (Kevin Durant) to win the Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year. On March 31, he won the John R. Wooden Award. The following day he won the Naismith College Player of the Year. He was Kentucky's first Naismith winner and the first from the SEC in 42 years (Pete Maravich).

Davis was named to the 2012 Sporting News All-American first team. He was also named first team All-American by the United States Basketball Writers Association. On March 20, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) chose him as a first team All-American. Davis was a CBSSports.com first team All-American. Davis was named a first team Associated Press All-American, making him a unanimous first team All-American selection.

During the 2012 NCAA Tournament, Davis was selected to the NCAA South Regional All-Tournament Team. Then, in the 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament final four, he posted 18 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks against Louisville. In the championship game, he had 16 rebounds, 6 blocks, 5 assists, 3 steals and 6 points against Kansas. He won the NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player and was selected to that All-Tournament team. He was the fourth freshman to win the Most Outstanding Player award.

Davis was named the USBWA National Freshman of the Year. He was selected by the USBWA as the Player of the Year for its 10-man 2011–12 Men's All-District IV (Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida) Team. Davis was a first team selection to the NABC Division I All‐District 21 team on March 14. On April 1, he was also awarded the Pete Newell Big Man Award and the NABC Defensive Player of the Year. CollegeInsider.com recognized him with the Lefty Driesell Award as Defensive Player of the Year and the Kyle Macy Award as Freshman of the Year.

#### Conference

Davis twice earned SEC Player of the Week (POTW) honors (Week of February 6 and 27, 2012) and four times, when he was not Player of the Week, he earned SEC Freshman of the Week (FOTW) honors (November 14, 2011, February 1, 2012, January 16, 2012 and May 3, 2012). He earned his first FOTW honor for debuting with a double-double, including 23 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks and 3 assists against Marist on November 11, 2011. Only Jones and Sam Bowie had previously had 20 or more points and 10 or more rebounds in their Kentucky Freshman debut. His second FOTW came in a week in which he averaged 14.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, six blocks, 1.5 steals and 1 assist in wins over Lamar and fourth-rated Louisville. His third FOTW award came when he averaged 16 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2.5 steals and 2 assists in wins at Auburn and at Tennessee where both his point totals were game highs. He earned his fourth FOTW when he averaged 15.5 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks in wins over Georgia and at Florida. He earned his first POTW recognition for averaging 20 points, eight rebounds, 7.5 blocks and 2 assists in wins over Tennessee and at South Carolina. For Davis's second POTW he posted a pair of double-doubles to average 20.5 points, 11 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and two steals in wins at Mississippi State and over Vanderbilt. The February 25 win against Vanderbilt clinched the 2011–12 SEC championship for Kentucky as Davis tallied a career-high 28 points as well as 11 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. ESPN's Andy Katz described his SEC title-clinching performance as the most complete performance of his career.

He was also selected as the SEC Player of the Year, SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a first team All-SEC honoree. The SEC awards were selected by the league's 12 coaches who were not permitted to vote for their own players. Thus, no awards were unanimous. Sporting News also selected him as Freshman and Player of the Year for the SEC. Also, the Associated Press selected him as Player and Newcomer of the Year for the SEC as well as an All-SEC performer. Following the 2012 SEC tournament, he was selected to the SEC All-Tournament Team.

### Records

During the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Davis blocked more shots per game than most Division I men's teams. In the January 17 contest against Arkansas, Davis set the Kentucky men's basketball record for single-season blocked shots surpassing Melvin Turpin and Andre Riddick, who each had 83. In the game, he established a career high with 27 points and added 14 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. On February 4, against South Carolina, Davis established the SEC freshman record with 116 blocks surpassing Shaquille O'Neal's total set for LSU. One of the most notable blocks of the season was a block of John Henson with four seconds left to preserve a 73–72 victory when number one Kentucky hosted number five North Carolina on December 3. On March 15, Davis established a Kentucky single-game record for the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament by blocking 7 against Western Kentucky. On March 25, Davis established the SEC single-season blocked shots record in the NCAA Tournament South Regional Championship game victory over Baylor, surpassing Jarvis Varnado's total of 169. On March 31, he tied DeMarcus Cousins with 20 double-doubles for the Kentucky freshman-season record. He also surpassed Cousins' Kentucky freshman rebounds record of 374 with 415 rebounds. With six blocks in the championship game, he achieved a total of 186 for the season, surpassing Hassan Whiteside's 2010 total of 182, to set an NCAA Division I freshman record. This also tied the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Game record for blocks established by Joakim Noah in the 2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Starting in the championship game gave him a total of 40 starts for the season, which tied Kentucky's single-season record along with teammate Marquis Teague.

## Professional career

### New Orleans Hornets / Pelicans (2012–2019)

#### Rookie year (2012–2013)

Davis declared for the 2012 NBA draft alongside the rest of the national championship team starting five: fellow freshmen Kidd-Gilchrist and Teague, and sophomores Jones and Doron Lamb. At the 2012 NBA Draft Combine, Davis measured at 6 feet 9.25 inches (2.06 m), 221.8 pounds (100.6 kg) and had the second-longest wingspan—7 feet 5.5 inches (2.27 m)—of any player participating. On June 28, the New Orleans Hornets selected Davis with the first overall pick. Davis became the fifth Chicago-area first overall selection following Cazzie Russell (1966), LaRue Martin (1972), Mark Aguirre (1981) and Derrick Rose (2008). On July 24, 2012, Davis signed a three-year \$16 million guaranteed contract with the Hornets as prescribed by the NBA's collective bargaining agreement. On November 1, 2012, Davis made his debut against the San Antonio Spurs. He scored a team high 21 in a losing effort. On November 2, Davis suffered a concussion that sidelined him for two-and-a-half games until November 9. In his November 9 return, he posted his first double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds as well as 5 blocks, 2 steals and 2 assists in a victory over the Charlotte Bobcats. On November 17, he totaled 28 points and 11 rebounds against the Milwaukee Bucks. On November 20, Davis was announced to be out of the lineup for "a stress reaction" on his ankle. He was cleared to play on December 11, 2012 after missing 11 games. On December 18, he posted a career-high 4 steals to go along with 15 points and a then-career-high 16 rebounds against the Golden State Warriors in his first start since being disabled on November 20.

Davis appeared in the February 15, 2013 Rising Stars Challenge during the 2013 NBA All-Star Game weekend. Davis was removed from the Hornets' lineup on February 27 following a collision with Brook Lopez the prior night in which he sprained his left shoulder. On March 5, Davis returned to the starting lineup with 17 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocked shots against the Orlando Magic. On March 9, Davis established a career high in rebounds with 18 to go along with 20 points against the Memphis Grizzlies. On March 20, Davis tipped in the game-winning basket over Kevin Garnett against the Boston Celtics with 0.3 seconds remaining. On April 10, Davis suffered a season-ending left knee medial collateral ligament sprain and bone bruise. He was injured in a collision with Marcus Thornton of the Sacramento Kings. He was a 2013 NBA All-Rookie First Team selection, and finished second in NBA Rookie of the Year voting (with 306 points) to Damian Lillard (605). His 20 double-doubles was the most in his rookie class.

As a rookie, he proved to be mostly a pick-and-roll threat on offense, but was effective in fast break transition and on the offensive boards. He needed to develop his isolation and post-up skills. His rookie skill set was said to resemble a young Lamar Odom, but he added over 10 pounds (4.5 kg) following his rookie season.

After the 2012–13 season, the Hornets renamed themselves the Pelicans. Davis donated \$65,000 toward the construction of a basketball court at his alma mater, Perspectives. On October 16, 2013, during the preseason of Davis's sophomore year for the 2013–14 New Orleans Pelicans, the Pelicans exercised the team's third-year option on Davis's contract.

#### First All-Star selection (2013–2014)

Davis began the 2013–14 NBA season with the newly-renamed Pelicans with a pair of double-doubles, posting 20 points and 12 rebounds against Indiana on October 30 and 26 points and 17 rebounds against Orlando on November 1. In the Orlando game, Davis became the youngest player in franchise history to record 25 points and 15 rebounds in a game. In the third game of the season against Charlotte on November 2, Davis established career highs with 6 blocks and 6 steals, while helping New Orleans to its first victory. He also became the first player with 6 blocks, 6 steals and 25 points in a game in the last 20 years and only the fifth with at least 5 blocks, 5 steals and 25 points in that period. For the week, Davis earned an NBA Player of the Week nomination, but lost out to Kevin Love. On November 8, against the Los Angeles Lakers, Davis scored a career-high 32 points and tied a career high with 6 blocks, along with 12 rebounds, becoming the youngest player ever to have at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks in an NBA game. On November 16, he established a new career high with 8 blocks against Philadelphia. He again had 8 blocks on November 20 against the Utah Jazz. With two 8-block games in the Pelicans' first 11 games of the 2013–14 NBA season, Davis matched the number of 8-block games that Roy Hibbert had at that time in the 2012–13 and 2013–14 NBA seasons combined. No other players had two 8-block games as recently. According to ESPN, while drawing a charging foul from Amar'e Stoudemire, Davis suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left hand in the first quarter against the New York Knicks on December 1. Yahoo! Sports claims the injury came on an attempted alley oop. On December 3, the Pelicans announced a four-to-six-week layoff was expected. The injury came the night before he was supposed to play in his hometown of Chicago, marking the second year in a row that he was sidelined for his chance to play in his hometown.

Davis returned to the lineup on December 18 against the Los Angeles Clippers with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals. He returned to the starting lineup in the next game with 21 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal against Portland on December 21. He missed 7 games due to the injury. In his seventh consecutive 20-point game (all losses), Davis posted 31 points and 17 rebounds against Golden State. In the subsequent game on January 20, he helped the Pelicans snap an 8-game losing streak with 27 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks against Memphis. On January 26, Davis established a new career high with 19 rebounds, in addition to posting 22 points and 7 blocks, in a 100–92 victory over the Orlando Magic. On January 27, Davis was a finalist for Western Conference Player of the Week but lost out to Kevin Durant. The January 28 contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers featuring the last three first overall NBA draft picks (Anthony Bennett, Davis and Kyrie Irving), Davis posted 30 points, 8 blocks, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. However, he dislocated his left index finger causing him to miss the next game the following night. On January 29, he was named a Rising Stars Challenge participant as part of the 2014 NBA All-Star Game weekend. On February 7, he was selected to replace Kobe Bryant in the 2014 NBA All-Star Game. On February 26, Davis sprained his left shoulder late in the first half against the Dallas Mavericks. He did not play in the rest of the game, and his subsequent availability was listed as day-to-day. Despite his shoulder sprain, Davis matched his career high with 32 points on February 28 against the Phoenix Suns. He was one of six Western Conference Player of the Week nominees on March 10. On March 14, Davis established a career high with 36 points against Portland. On March 16, 2014, (the very next game) Davis scored a career-high 40 points along with a career-high 21 rebounds in a 121–120 overtime win against the Boston Celtics. The performance was the first 40-point, 20-rebound effort of the 2013–14 NBA season. Davis was the fourth-youngest player (21 years and 5 days) to achieve 40/20 in a game and the youngest since Shaquille O'Neal in 1993. In addition to his career game, Davis set a New Orleans' franchise record with six straight games of at least 28 points. Glen Rice set the previous best stretch with five straight in the 1990s. It was also the first 40-point performance by a Pelican/Hornet since David West on February 26, 2010. Davis was again a finalist for NBA Player of the Week on March 17 and 24.

In late March, Davis began suffering a series of injuries. On March 28, Davis injured his left ankle, after four minutes of play against the Jazz. He missed the rest of the game and the next one. Davis returned to the lineup on March 31 against Sacramento. However, on April 2, Davis endured back spasms that caused him to miss the second half against the Nuggets. Davis saw limited minutes on April 4 and missed a game on April 9 due to his back. On April 10, the team announced that Davis would miss the remaining four games. Davis finished the season as the NBA leader in blocked shots per game (2.82). Because of his improved performance this season against his rookie season, Davis finished third in the NBA Most Improved Player Award voting behind Lance Stephenson and Goran Dragić.

#### First All-NBA and playoff appearances (2014–2015)

Davis began the 2014–15 NBA season against the Orlando Magic with one of the best season-opening performances of all time: 26 points, 17 rebounds, 9 blocks, 3 steals and 2 assists. It was the first 9-block season-opener since Nate Thurmond had 12 to open the 1974–75 NBA season. The performance also marked the first 26-point/17-rebound/9-block/3-steal effort since Hakeem Olajuwon during the 1989–90 NBA season. On November 8, against the San Antonio Spurs, he posted 27 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks, including the game-winning basket with 6.6 seconds remaining. It marked the 5th time Davis had 25 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks since the beginning of the prior season. No other player has had multiple such games in that time. On November 22, Davis scored a career-high 43 points along with 14 rebounds against the Utah Jazz. He was a finalist for October/November Western Conference Player of the Month. On December 2, Davis fell one assist and one block short of becoming the youngest NBA player to ever record a five-by-five with a 25-point, 10-rebound, 4-assist, 6-steal, 4-block performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Davis entered the December 12, 2014 contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers with a player efficiency rating (PER) of 32.9, which would be the highest in NBA history if maintained for the full season. Davis was injured in the game and left in the first quarter. Davis was sidelined in the subsequent contest. He was a finalist for December Western Conference Player of the Month. On February 6, despite having missed his last 11 three-point shots and having a career 2-for-23 three-point career record, Davis made a game-winning three-point buzzer beater against Oklahoma City Thunder as part of a 41-point, 10-rebound double-double. The 41-point performance marked a New Orleans record 13th consecutive 20-point performance, surpassing Pete Maravich of the 1976–77 New Orleans Jazz.

On February 7, 2015, Davis injured his shoulder after falling off the rim when he received an alley-oop. As a result of the injury, he withdrew from the 2015 NBA All-Star Game, and was replaced on the roster by Dirk Nowitzki and in the starting lineup by LaMarcus Aldridge. Davis missed five games in late February and early March to the shoulder sprain. He returned against the Detroit Pistons with a very dominant game performance of 39 points, 13 rebounds and 8 blocks, numbers that only Hakeem Olajuwon and Dwight Howard had achieved in a game in the prior 30 years. Davis also reached 437 career blocks, a franchise record. On March 9, Davis tied his career high with 43 points and added 10 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal in a 114–103 win against the Milwaukee Bucks. On March 15 in a double overtime game against the Denver Nuggets, Davis became the first player in NBA history to tally 36 points, 14 rebounds, 9 blocks and 7 assists in a game since blocks became a statistic in 1973. Only David Robinson has had at least 30 points, 11 rebounds, 8 blocks and 7 assists in a game. On March 16, Davis earned Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, March 9, through Sunday, March 15 and was a finalist for Western Conference Player of the Month of March. In the final game of the regular season, a must-win game that would send the Pelicans to the 2015 NBA playoffs, Davis recorded 31 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks in a 108–103 victory over the defending-champion San Antonio Spurs. The playoff berth was Davis's first and the franchise's first since 2011. Davis's season was one of the most impressive in NBA history, finishing the season averaging 24.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.9 blocks, and leading the league in player efficiency rating with 30.89. He was a finalist for Western Conference Player of the Month again in April.

In his first career playoff series, Davis averaged 31.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. Although swept by the overall number one seeded Golden State Warriors, who went on to win the NBA championship, Davis joined Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Karl Malone as the only players in the past 20 seasons to average 30 points and 10 rebounds in the playoffs. Davis also became the first player in 40 years to average 30 points and 10 rebounds in a player's first playoff series, with the only other players to do so being Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bob McAdoo. At the end of the season, Davis finished 4th in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award voting, 5th in the NBA Most Valuable Player Award voting, sixth in the NBA Most Improved Player Award voting. He was selected to the All-NBA First Team for the first time in his career, becoming the first player to make the first team in his first three seasons since Derrick Rose did so in the 2010–11 NBA season. He was also an NBA All-Defensive Team second team selection.

#### Season-ending injury (2015–2016)

On July 9, 2015, Davis signed a five-year, \$145 million contract extension with the Pelicans. On November 6, he tied his career-high of 43 points in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks. On December 1, he tied a career-high 9 blocked shots in an offensive off night against the Memphis Grizzlies. On December 20, in a win over the Denver Nuggets, Davis scored a single-quarter career-high 19 first quarter points to finish the game with 27. On January 15, Davis converted an alley oop dunk from Jrue Holiday with 2 seconds remaining to give New Orleans a 109–107 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. On January 28, Davis was named as a reserve for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game. He again came close to a five-by-five with a 28-point, 10-rebound, 4-assist, 4-block, 4-steal effort on February 3 against the San Antonio Spurs. The following day, he was named to the NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge lineup.

On February 21, in a win over the Detroit Pistons, Davis scored a franchise-record 59 points and pulled down 20 rebounds. The previous franchise record was 50 points by Jamal Mashburn exactly 13 years earlier against the Memphis Grizzlies. Davis joined Shaquille O'Neal and Chris Webber as the only NBA players with 50 points and 20 rebounds in a game since 1983. Davis also became just the 20th player in NBA history to score at least 59 points in a game, and became the youngest player in NBA history to score 59 points in a game, and the second youngest (behind Bob McAdoo) to record 50 points and 20 rebounds in a game. The 59 points was an NBA-wide season high at the time. The total was not surpassed until the final night of the season when Kobe Bryant posted 60 in his final career game. Davis posted a third 40-point game (40 points and 13 rebounds) on March 9 against the Charlotte Hornets. On March 20, he was ruled out for the rest of the season with a left knee injury and a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Upon being deactivated, Davis claimed that he had been playing through left shoulder pain since his rookie season.

#### All-Star record-breaker (2016–2017)

On October 26, Davis began the season with a 50-point, 16-rebound, 7-steal (career high), 5-assist, 4-block performance against the Denver Nuggets. He was one block short of his first five-by-five. It was the first 50-point, 15-rebound, 5-assist, 5-steal performance in NBA history since steals became an officially recorded statistic in the 1973–74 season. His 50-point night was the second highest scoring output of his career and was the most by any NBA player in a season opener since Michael Jordan scored 54 points in 1989. Two days later, he had 45 points and 17 rebounds against the Golden State Warriors, becoming the first back-to-back-game 40-point scorer in Pelicans history (since the New Orleans Hornets creation in 2002). On November 10, he scored 32 points against the Milwaukee Bucks, helping the Pelicans record their first win of the season after starting 0–8. On November 19, Davis posted 38 points and 16 rebounds, including 11 of the Pelicans' final 16 in an overtime win against the Charlotte Hornets. He posted the game-tying score with 18 seconds remaining in regulation. On November 23, he had a 45-point effort in a 117–96 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves; it was the Pelicans' fourth straight win. On December 23, he had 28 points, a career-high 22 rebounds and four blocked shots in a 91–87 win over the Miami Heat. On January 19, Davis was selected as a starter for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game, marking his fourth selection and second as a starter. On January 27, he had 16 points and tied a career high with 22 rebounds in a 119–103 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

On February 2, he was selected as a participant in the NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge. On February 10, he had 42 points and 13 rebounds in a 122–106 win over the Timberwolves. Davis scored 40 for the sixth time this season, and it was his highest-scoring game since he put up 45 against Minnesota on November 23. On February 19, 2017, playing on his team's home floor for the NBA All-Star Game, Davis notched 52 points and 10 rebounds, breaking Wilt Chamberlain's previous All-Star record high of 42 points, and also won the game's Most Valuable Player award. This record has since been broken by Jayson Tatum in 2023. On March 11, 2017, Davis scored 46 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in a 125–122 overtime win over the Charlotte Hornets. On March 31, 2017, Davis had 19 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in a 117–89 win over the Sacramento Kings. During the game, Davis became the first player in Pelicans history to reach 2,000 points in a season. Following the season, he edged out Rudy Gobert as the center on the All-NBA first team. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the second time.

#### Second playoff appearance (2017–2018)

On November 22, 2017, Davis had 29 points and 11 rebounds in a 107–90 win over the San Antonio Spurs. He finished the game with 7,938 career points, moving him into second in franchise history ahead of Chris Paul (7,936). He was subsequently named the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from November 20–26. Davis led the Pelicans to a 3–1 week behind averages of 29.5 points on .586 shooting from the floor, 12.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 blocks. Davis missed three games in early December with an adductor strain. On December 27, 2017, he had 33 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks in a 128–113 win over the Brooklyn Nets. On January 14, 2018, Davis scored a season-high 48 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, leading New Orleans back from 19 points down late in the third quarter to a 123–118 overtime victory over the New York Knicks. He followed that up with a 45-point/16-rebound overtime effort on January 16 to lead the Pelicans past the Boston Celtics 116–113. On January 18, he was named a 2018 NBA All-Star Game starter.

On January 28, he had 25 points and 17 rebounds in a 112–103 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Davis's rebound total gave him a franchise all-time high of 3,857, eclipsing David West's mark of 3,853. On February 2, he passed West as the franchise's all-time leading scorer by posting 43 points in a win against the Los Angeles Clippers giving him a total of 8,702. On February 23, he had 45 points, 17 rebounds, five blocked shots and five steals in a 124–123 overtime win over the Miami Heat. He hit a 3-pointer during the game, giving him a career-best 41 3-pointers in a single season. Three days later, he recorded a season-high 53 points, 18 rebounds and five blocked shots in a 125–116 win over the Phoenix Suns. On March 6, he scored 41 points despite a rib contusion in helping the Pelicans defeat the Clippers 121–116. He also tied his career high with four 3-pointers and had 13 rebounds. Five days later, on his 25th birthday, Davis recorded his first career triple-double with 25 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 10 blocks in a 116–99 loss to the Utah Jazz. His 10 blocks in a game set a franchise record and he tied his own franchise mark with six blocks in one half. In the Pelicans' regular season finale on April 11, Davis had 22 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks and three steals in a 122–98 win over the Spurs.

In Game 1 of the Pelicans' first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers, Davis had 35 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and two steals in a 97–95 win. It was the Pelicans' first postseason win since 2011 and the first of Davis's six-year career. In Game 4, Davis scored 33 of his franchise playoff-record 47 points in the second half, as the Pelicans completed a first-round sweep of the Trail Blazers with a 131–123 victory. In Game 3 of the Pelicans' second-round series against the Golden State Warriors, Davis recorded 33 points, 18 rebounds and four steals, as the Pelicans defeated the Warriors 119–100 to trim Golden State's series lead to 2–1. The Pelicans went on to lose the series in five games, with Davis recording 34 points, 19 rebounds and four blocks in a 113–104 loss in Game 5. At the end of the season, he finished 3rd in the NBA Most Valuable Player Award voting and 3rd in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award voting. Following the season, he earned his first NBA All-Defensive First Team and his third All-NBA First Team selections.

#### Requesting a trade (2018–2019)

In the Pelicans' season opener on October 17, Davis had 32 points, 16 rebounds and a career-high eight assists to go with three blocks and three steals in a 131–112 win over the Houston Rockets. On November 7, he had 32 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks in a 107–98 win over the Chicago Bulls. On November 12, he had 25 points and a season-high 20 rebounds in a 126–110 win over the Toronto Raptors. It was the fifth 20-point, 20-rebound game of Davis's career. On November 16, he scored a season-high 43 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in a 129–124 win over the New York Knicks. A day later, he recorded 40 points, eight rebounds and a career high-tying eight assists in a 125–115 win over the Denver Nuggets. On November 21, Davis missed the third of three free throws with 2.5 seconds left, as the Pelicans lost 121–120 to the Philadelphia 76ers. He finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds and reached 10,000 career points with a dunk late in the first half. He became the eighth-youngest player to reach the milestone at the age of 25 years and 255 days. On December 5, he scored 27 points to go with a career-high nine assists, five blocks and four rebounds (nine below his average) in a 132–106 win over the Dallas Mavericks. On December 12, he had 44 points and 18 rebounds in a 118–114 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. On December 28, he hit a go-ahead, fall-away jumper with 43.9 seconds left and scored a season-high 48 points to lift the Pelicans to a 114–112 win over the Mavericks. On January 2, 2019, Davis posted a career-high and franchise-record 26 rebounds along with 34 points against the Brooklyn Nets. On January 14, he had 46 points and 16 rebounds in a 121–117 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. On January 19, he was ruled out for one to two weeks with a left index finger sprain, an injury sustained the previous night against the Portland Trail Blazers.

On January 28, Davis informed the Pelicans that he would not sign a contract extension in the coming off-season, and requested a trade. He was eligible to become a free agent in the summer of 2020. A day later, the NBA fined him \$50,000 for making his request public. Davis recovered from his injury and was available to play, but the Pelicans said they would hold him out until after the league trade deadline on February 7. After the deadline passed without a trade, the team announced that Davis would play the rest of the season; they faced potential fines by the league if they held him out. On February 8, he played for first time since his trade request. He had 32 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in 25 minutes before being benched for the entire fourth quarter in a 122–117 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

### Los Angeles Lakers (2019–present)

#### First NBA championship (2019–2020)

In July 2019, the Pelicans traded Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round draft picks, including the Lakers' No. 4 overall selection in the 2019 NBA draft. He made his Lakers debut on October 22, 2019, against the Los Angeles Clippers, putting up 25 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in 37 minutes in a 112–102 loss. On October 29, he became the first Laker to put up a 40-point and 20-rebound performance since Shaquille O'Neal in 2003. Additionally, Davis did this in 30 minutes of play, which has never been done in the history of the NBA. On November 27, Davis made his return to New Orleans for the first time since the trade, recording 41 points and 9 rebounds in a 114–110 win over the Pelicans. The 41 points set an NBA record for the most points scored by a player in his first game against a former team. On December 8, Davis scored a season-high 50 points in a 142–125 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. On January 3, 2020, Davis had 46 points and 13 rebounds in a 123–113 win over the Pelicans. On January 23, 2020, he was selected to be a front-court starter for the NBA All-Star Game.

In January 2020, Davis declined the Lakers' offer of a four-year, \$146 million max extension, opting to enter free agency, where he could earn a five-year, \$202 million max contract in the upcoming summer. On August 8, Davis had 42 points and 12 rebounds in a 116–108 win over the Utah Jazz to help the Lakers clinch the No. 1 playoff seed in the Western conference. He played in 62 of 71 games during the regular season and finished as a runner-up in voting for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. In Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, Davis hit a game winning 3-pointer against the Denver Nuggets while putting up 31 points and scoring the last 10 points for the Lakers in a 105–103 win for 2–0 lead in the series. They advanced to the 2020 NBA Finals, where Davis and LeBron James led the Lakers to a 4–2 win over the Miami Heat for the franchise's 17th championship, tying them with Boston for the most in league history. Davis became the first player to win an NCAA title, an Olympic gold medal, a FIBA World Cup, and an NBA title.

#### Injury-plagued seasons (2020–2022)

On December 3, 2020, Davis re-signed with the Lakers on a five-year, \$190 million contract that included an early termination option prior to the fifth season in 2024–25. For the 2020–21 season, he was sidelined for 30 games (February–April 2021), the longest absence of his career, due to right calf and heel issues. In the opening round of the playoffs, the Lakers were up 2–1 in the series against the Phoenix Suns when Davis suffered a strained left groin in Game 4. He was also sidelined in Game 5, when the Suns took a 3–2 lead. He returned in Game 6 but played only five minutes after reaggravating the injury. The Lakers lost.

On December 17, Davis exited in the third quarter of a 110–92 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves after suffering an MCL sprain in his left knee. He missed 17 games before returning in late January, and for the first time since 2013 was not selected for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. On February 16, 2022, in a 106–101 win against the Utah Jazz, Davis injured his right ankle and missed 18 games. In the 40 games he played during the season, Davis averaged 23.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.3 blocks in 35.1 minutes of per game, and the Lakers missed the playoffs.

#### Return from injury (2022–present)

On November 13, 2022, Davis scored 37 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a 116–103 win over the Brooklyn Nets, to help the Los Angeles Lakers snap a five-game losing streak. In the next game, Davis recorded a then season-high 38 points, 16 rebounds and 4 blocks in a 128–121 win over the Detroit Pistons. On November 22, Davis posted a then-season-high 21 rebounds along with 37 points, 5 steals and 5 blocks in a 115–105 loss against the Phoenix Suns. He became the first player since the 1973–74 season (when blocks and steals became an official stat) to record 35-plus points, 20-plus boards, 5-plus steals and 5-plus blocks in a game. It was his fourth consecutive game with 30-plus points and 15-plus rebounds. Davis also became just the third Laker in franchise history to record 30-plus points and 15-plus rebounds in four consecutive games, joining Elgin Baylor (had seven such streaks) and Shaquille O'Neal (November 19–26, 1999).

On December 2, Davis scored a then season-high 44 points, along with 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks in a 133–129 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. On December 4, Davis scored a season-high 55 points along with 17 rebounds and three blocks in a 130–119 win over the Washington Wizards. He joined Kevin McHale as only the second player in NBA history to put up at least 55 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks in a game since blocks became an official stat in the 1973–74 season. Davis became only the fourth player to score at least 99 points in a two-game span while shooting at least 70% from the field; Elgin Baylor had three of those streaks, Wilt Chamberlain had two and David Thompson had one. He also became the first Laker with back-to-back 40-point games since Kobe Bryant in March 2013. On December 5, Davis was named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for Week 7 (November 28 – December 4), his eighth career NBA Player of the Week award and first with the Lakers. He led the Lakers to 3–1 week with averages of 37.8 points, 13.0 rebounds and 3.25 blocks.

On January 25, 2023, Davis returned after missing the previous twenty games with a right foot injury. He posted 21 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in 26 minutes off the bench in a 113–104 win over the San Antonio Spurs. On February 26, he led the Lakers to a 111–108 come-from-behind victory over the Dallas Mavericks with 30 points and 15 rebounds. It was the biggest comeback of the season at that time, and the Lakers' biggest comeback in franchise history since 2002. On March 5, Davis recorded 39 points, eight rebounds and six assists in an 113–105 win over the reigning champions the Golden State Warriors. On March 7, Davis put up 30 points and a season-high 22 rebounds in a 112–103 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. He also became the first Laker to drop multiple games with at least 30 points and 20 rebounds in a season since Shaquille O'Neal in 2003–04 season. On April 3, Davis was named NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for Week 20 (March 27 – April 2). Davis averaged 38.7 points (.652 FG%, .806 FT%), 11.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.0 blocks in three games, as the Lakers finished the week 3–0 with road victories over Chicago, Minnesota and Houston.

In Game 1 of the Lakers' first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies, Davis recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, three steals and a playoff career-high seven blocks in a 128–112 win. In Game 3 of the Lakers' first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies, Davis put up 31 points, 17 rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks in a 111–101 win. In Game 1 of the Lakers' second-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, Davis posted 30 points, a playoff career-high 23 rebounds, five assists and four blocks in a 117–112 win. He joined Tim Duncan as the only players in NBA history to put up at least 30 points, 20 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in a playoff game. In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Davis recorded 40 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in a 132–126 loss against the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers ultimately lost the series to the eventual NBA champion Nuggets in a four-game sweep.

On August 4, 2023, Davis signed a three-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers.

## Career statistics

### NBA

#### Regular season

\|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2012–13 \| style="text-align:left;"\|New Orleans \| 64 \|\| 60 \|\| 28.8 \|\| .516 \|\| .000 \|\| .751 \|\| 8.2 \|\| 1.0 \|\| 1.2 \|\| 1.8 \|\| 13.5 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2013–14 \| style="text-align:left;"\|New Orleans \| 67 \|\| 66 \|\| 35.2 \|\| .519 \|\| .222 \|\| .791 \|\| 10.0 \|\| 1.6 \|\| 1.3 \|\| style="background:#cfecec;"\| 2.8\* \|\| 20.8 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2014–15 \| style="text-align:left;"\|New Orleans \| 68 \|\| 68 \|\| 36.1 \|\| .535 \|\| .083 \|\| .805 \|\| 10.2 \|\| 2.2 \|\| 1.5 \|\| style="background:#cfecec;"\| 2.9\* \|\| 24.4 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2015–16 \| style="text-align:left;"\|New Orleans \| 61 \|\| 61 \|\| 35.5 \|\| .493 \|\| .324 \|\| .758 \|\| 10.3 \|\| 1.9 \|\| 1.3 \|\| 2.0 \|\| 24.3 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2016–17 \| style="text-align:left;"\|New Orleans \| 75 \|\| 75 \|\| 36.1 \|\| .505 \|\| .299 \|\| .802 \|\| 11.8 \|\| 2.1 \|\| 1.3 \|\| 2.2 \|\| 28.0 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2017–18 \| style="text-align:left;"\|New Orleans \| 75 \|\| 75 \|\| 36.4 \|\| .534 \|\| .340 \|\| .828 \|\| 11.1 \|\| 2.3 \|\| 1.5 \|\| style="background:#cfecec;"\| 2.6\* \|\| 28.1 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2018–19 \| style="text-align:left;"\|New Orleans \| 56 \|\| 56 \|\| 33.0 \|\| .517 \|\| .331 \|\| .794 \|\| 12.0 \|\| 3.9 \|\| 1.6 \|\| 2.4 \|\| 25.9 \|- \| style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;"\|2019–20 \| style="text-align:left;"\|L.A. Lakers \| 62 \|\| 62 \|\| 34.4 \|\| .503 \|\| .330 \|\| .846 \|\| 9.3 \|\| 3.2 \|\| 1.5 \|\| 2.3 \|\| 26.1 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2020–21 \| style="text-align:left;"\|L.A. Lakers \| 36 \|\| 36 \|\| 32.3 \|\| .491 \|\| .260 \|\| .738 \|\| 7.9 \|\| 3.1 \|\| 1.3 \|\| 1.6 \|\| 21.8 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2021–22 \| style="text-align:left;"\|L.A. Lakers \| 40 \|\| 40 \|\| 35.1 \|\| .532 \|\| .186 \|\| .713 \|\| 9.9 \|\| 3.1 \|\| 1.2 \|\| 2.3 \|\| 23.2 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2022–23 \| style="text-align:left;"\|L.A. Lakers \| 56 \|\| 54 \|\| 34.0 \|\| .563 \|\| .257 \|\| .784 \|\| 12.5 \|\| 2.6 \|\| 1.1 \|\| 2.0 \|\| 25.9 \|- class="sortbottom" \| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"\|Career \| 660 \|\| 653 \|\| 34.4 \|\| .519 \|\| .300 \|\| .793 \|\| 10.4 \|\| 2.4 \|\| 1.3 \|\| 2.3 \|\| 24.0 \|- class="sortbottom" \| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"\|All-Star \| 6 \|\| 3 \|\| 16.4 \|\| .706 \|\| .167 \|\| .500 \|\| 4.8 \|\| .3 \|\| 1.3 \|\| .5 \|\| 20.5

#### Play-in

\|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2021 \| style="text-align:left;"\|L.A. Lakers \| 1 \|\| 1 \|\| 42.2 \|\| .417 \|\| .167 \|\| 1.000 \|\| 12.0 \|\| 2.0 \|\| 2.0 \|\| 1.0 \|\| 25.0 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2023 \| style="text-align:left;"\|L.A. Lakers \| 1 \|\| 1 \|\| 42.7 \|\| .526 \|\| .000 \|\| .667 \|\| 15.0 \|\| 4.0 \|\| 2.0 \|\| 3.0 \|\| 24.0 \|- class="sortbottom" \| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"\|Career \| 2 \|\| 2 \|\| 42.5 \|\| .465 \|\| .143 \|\| .800 \|\| 13.5 \|\| 3.0 \|\| 2.0 \|\| 2.0 \|\| 24.5

#### Playoffs

\|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2015 \| style="text-align:left;"\|New Orleans \| 4 \|\| 4 \|\| 43.0 \|\| .540 \|\| .000 \|\| .889 \|\| 11.0 \|\| 2.0 \|\| 1.3 \|\| 3.0 \|\| 31.5 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2018 \| style="text-align:left;"\|New Orleans \| 9 \|\| 9 \|\| 39.8 \|\| .520 \|\| .273 \|\| .828 \|\| 13.4 \|\| 1.7 \|\| 2.0 \|\| 2.4 \|\| 30.1 \|- \| style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;"\|2020 \| style="text-align:left;"\|L.A. Lakers \| 21 \|\| 21 \|\| 36.6 \|\| .571 \|\| .383 \|\| .832 \|\| 9.7 \|\| 3.5 \|\| 1.2 \|\| 1.4 \|\| 27.7 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2021 \| style="text-align:left;"\|L.A. Lakers \| 5 \|\| 5 \|\| 28.8 \|\| .403 \|\| .182 \|\| .833 \|\| 6.6 \|\| 2.6 \|\| .6 \|\| 1.6 \|\| 17.4 \|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2023 \| style="text-align:left;"\|L.A. Lakers \| 16 \|\| 16 \|\| 38.0 \|\| .520 \|\| .333 \|\| .852 \|\| 14.1 \|\| 2.6 \|\| 1.4 \|\| 3.1 \|\| 22.6 \|- class="sortbottom" \| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"\|Career \| 55 \|\| 55 \|\| 37.3 \|\| .533 \|\| .327 \|\| .841 \|\| 11.4 \|\| 2.7 \|\| 1.3 \|\| 2.2 \|\| 25.9

### College

\|- \| style="text-align:left;"\|2011–12 \| style="text-align:left;"\|Kentucky \| 40 \|\| 40 \|\| 32.0 \|\| .623 \|\| .150 \|\| .709 \|\| 10.4 \|\| 1.3 \|\| 1.3 \|\| 4.7 \|\| 14.2

### Records

NCAA

- Freshman-season total blocked shots (186)
- National Championship game blocked shots (6, tied)

SEC

- Single-season blocked shots (186)

Kentucky

- NCAA tournament single-game blocked shots (7)
- SEC tournament single-game blocked shots (6)
- Season-opener blocked shots (5)
- SEC season-opener blocked shots (7)
- Freshman field goal percentage (62.3%)
- Career blocked shots per game (4.65)
- Single-season blocked shots per game (4.65)
- Single-season blocked shots (186)
- Single-season games played (40, tied)
- Single-season games started (40, tied)

NBA

- Free throws made in a quarter (18)
- Single All-Star Game field goals made (26)
- Single All-Star Game field goals made in a half (15)
- Single All-Star Game field goals made in a quarter (10)

New Orleans

- Career points (11,059)
- Career rebounds (4,906)
- Career offensive rebounds (1,208)
- Career defensive rebounds (3,698)
- Career blocked shots (1,121)
- Career field goals made (4,153)
- Career two-point field goals made (3,972)
- Career free throws made (2,572)
- Career points/game (23.7)
- Career blocks/game (2.4)
- Career player efficiency rating (27.4)
- Career defensive win shares (25.6)
- Single-season field goals (780)
- Single-season 2-point field goals (730)
- Single-season free throws (519)
- Single-season defensive rebounds (712)
- Single-season blocks (200)
- Single-season points (2,110)
- Single-season points/game (28.1)
- Single-season blocks/game (2.9)
- Single-season player efficiency rating (30.8)
- Single-season defensive win shares (5.1)

Los Angeles

- Single-game free throws made (26)

## National team career

On May 2, 2012, following a rash of injuries to players who had been on the 20-man Team USA basketball roster in January (notably center Dwight Howard), Davis was named as one of the finalists for the 2012 Olympic basketball team. Davis, along with Greg Monroe, was under consideration to fill the vacancy at center resulting from Howard's injury. Davis would be the first American player since Emeka Okafor (2004) to have competed in the Olympics without any prior NBA experience. By the beginning of July, he was one of six players (along with Blake Griffin, James Harden, Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala and Eric Gordon) competing for the final three roster spots, according to USA Basketball director Jerry Colangelo. Tyson Chandler, Kevin Love, Griffin and Davis were the only true post players among the final 15. It was reported that Davis "suffered a severely sprained ankle in a workout" on June 30 and "almost assuredly [would] bypass a chance to play for Team USA [that] summer in the London Olympics." On July 12, 2012, however, he was selected for the Olympic team after Griffin suffered an injury to the same knee he injured in the 2012 NBA playoffs, making him the only amateur player on the team. The team went undefeated in London and won the gold medal match over Spain.

Davis was also a member of the 2014 national team that won the gold medal in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup over Serbia on September 14. He averaged 12.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in 9 games played, while shooting 54.9% from the field.

## Esports career

On June 19, 2022, Davis signed with FaZe Clan, joining Faze Clan's Nuke Squad for Call of Duty. He also become the tallest esports player, replacing Dr Disrespect.

## Personal life

Davis is the son of Anthony Davis Sr. Davis Sr. is 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m), and his mother, Erainer, is 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m). He has a twin sister, Antoinette and an older sister, Lesha who played basketball at Daley College. He has cousins named Jarvis, Marshaun and Keith Chamberlain. Keith has played professional basketball in Germany and Latvia and their father, Keith Sr., served as Davis's elementary school athletic director.

Davis married Marlen Polanco on September 18, 2021. They have three children together.

On June 15, 2012, he signed with Arn Tellem and Thad Foucher of the Wasserman Media Group as his agents. Tellem left to become an NBA executive in 2015, and Davis signed with Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group in 2018. Davis trademarked his unibrow sayings "Fear The Brow", "Raise The Brow," and "Street Clothes Davis" in June 2012. In 2014, he launched AD's Flight Academy, which holds charitable events in the Greater-New Orleans area.

## Filmography

### Film

### Television

## See also

- List of National Basketball Association franchise career scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association annual blocks leaders
- List of National Basketball Association single-game blocks leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season blocks leaders

American basketball player (born 1993)

All-American college men's basketball players

Basketball players at the 2012 Summer Olympics

FIBA Basketball World Cup-winning players

Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players

National Basketball Association All-Stars

National Basketball Association first-overall draft picks

Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball

Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)

United States men's national basketball team players