Bradley Ernest Davis (born December 17, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player who spent the bulk of his National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Dallas Mavericks. He has been associated with the Mavericks for the team's entire existence as either a player, assistant coach or broadcaster.
Early years
Born in Monaca, Pennsylvania, Davis graduated from Monaca High School and played basketball there under head coach Dave Nichol. As a senior, he received Class B all-Pennsylvania honors. Davis also tried out for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball.
College career
Davis accepted a basketball scholarship from the University of Maryland, to play under head coach Lefty Driesell. As a freshman, he was named the starter at point guard, playing alongside guard John Lucas, while averaging 12.6 points, 4.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds.
As a junior, he averaged 12.4 points, 4.9 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 0.9 steals. He declared for the NBA draft after the season, finishing with an average of 12.2 points and 5.1 assists per game during his three-year stint in college.[1]
Professional career
Davis was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round (15th pick overall) of the 1977 NBA draft. As a rookie, he missed eight weeks with a broken hand and was passed on the depth chart by fellow rookie Norm Nixon. In his second season, he was waived after 10 games on October 27, 1978.
On February 29, 1980, he was signed as a free agent by the Utah Jazz. The coaching staff didn't feel that he was going to make the team, so the organization gave the Pistons permission to invite Davis to their camp, by making him a free agent.[4]
On December 2, 1980, Davis signed as a free agent with the NBA expansion team Dallas Mavericks, when the franchise was nearly two months into the 1980–81 season and became the starting point guard.[8] On March 27, 1981, he signed a contract extension. In the 1982–83 season, set a team record with 7.2 assists per game, set an NBA record for a guard with a .572 field goal percentage and tied for the team lead with 80 steals. On June 23, 1983, he signed a contract extension.[9] He became a fan favorite and spent the rest of his NBA career (12 seasons) with the Mavericks. In the 1984–85 season, he ranked third in the league in 3-point shooting and free-throw percentage. In the 1987–88 season, he was a part of a team that reached the Western Conference Finals only to lose to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. On August 1, 1992, he announced his official retirement. He averaged 8.6 points, 5.1 assists, 1.9 rebounds and 24.2 minutes per game during his career.
Davis was the final Maverick remaining from the team's first season, the franchise leader in assists, games played and minutes played. On November 14, 1992, Davis was the first Maverick to have his number retired when his #15 jersey was raised to the rafters of Reunion Arena.[10]
Personal life
In 1993, Davis became an assistant for the Mavericks under head coach Dick Motta. At the same time, he took a position as the color commentator for Mavericks televised games. He later moved to radio broadcasts.
Davis was the radio analyst until the 2007–08 season, when he swapped positions with Mavericks TV commentator Bob Ortegel. They later switched back to their original roles and Davis remained the color commentator on Mavericks' radio broadcasts. He also serves as the Mavericks' player development coach and a community services representative for the team.
He is the brother of former NBA player Mickey Davis. He is married to Kelli Davis and father to three children: son Michael and daughters Erin and Cara Davis.
