Anthony Davis nearly quit basketball even before his career had started, as he felt completely outmatched after joining an AAU team after an outrageous growth spurt that changed his life.
Speaking on the Glass Half Full podcast, Davis revealed he grew from 6-foot-3 to 6-foot-10 in just three months before his junior year of high school. That transformation completely changed his trajectory in the sport.
“So I was 6’3” basically my entire life. Going into my junior year of high school I grew 7 inches. I went from 6’3” to 6’10”. In one summer. Not even a year, in 3 months.”
“I try out, you know, I’m playing local basketball… to me I’m really good. And then I go for this AAU team, this Nike guy approaches my dad like, ‘Hey, we want your son to play for our AAU team.’ My dad’s like, ‘Give it a try.'”
“And I go out to the tryouts, and these guys are running faster, jumping higher than me, making and blocking shots, stronger. And on my mind I stand no chance. As we get in the car, I said, ‘I quit. I don’t want to play AAU basketball’”
“He said, ‘Play the first tournament. Let’s see how it goes.’ First tournament is that weekend. The very first game is against LeBron’s team.”
“I was 17 years old. The first 6 minutes of the game, I roll my ankle. So I only play 6 minutes. I roll my ankle so bad, I’m out for the rest of the weekend, and I have 6 points, 6 rebounds, and like 3 blocks. Done for the tournament, see this is why I didn’t want to play.”
While Davis did get a massive burst in height, that didn’t mean he could match up with kids who had better skill and endurance. That’s the reason why he felt like he didn’t belong. You have to give credit to Davis’ dad for convincing him to try out in a tournament. Even though it lasted for just six minutes, it opened up an avenue that was the start of everything great.
After his growth spurt, scouts and coaches noticed his unique combination of guard skills and elite size. Davis had spent most of his childhood playing as a guard. Even after growing seven inches, he retained his ball-handling skills and perimeter instincts that many players his height never develop. His performance with MeanStreets helped him turn into the No. 1 player in the 2011 recruiting class.
Davis eventually spent one remarkable season at the University of Kentucky under John Calipari. He averaged 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and a nation-leading 4.7 blocks while shooting 62.3% from the field, leading Kentucky to the 2012 NCAA championship and earning National Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.
The NBA success followed. Davis has become an NBA champion, a 10-time All-Star, a four-time All-NBA First Team selection, a three-time blocks leader and a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, while carrying career averages of 24.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game.
Looking back, it’s remarkable how close basketball came to losing one of its greatest big men. A growth spurt opened the door, but it was his father and grit that changed the course of Anthony Davis’ career
