Lee Davis
Encyclopedia
Lee Davis is a retired basketball player who played for eight seasons in the American Basketball Association
. A center
and forward during his career, he played for five different ABA teams and played in an ABA All-Star Game in 1970
.
. He also attended Ligon High School in Raleigh. After graduating, he enrolled at North Carolina Central University
. In his four years at the college, Davis scored over 1,000 points and averaged over 15 points per game.
's Phoenix Suns
in the 10th round of the NBA Draft
. He was also drafted by the American Basketball Association
's New Orleans Buccaneers
in a separate draft that same year. Davis opted to play for the Bucs, where he became a role player for the Babe McCarthy
-coached club. He played sparingly in his first two seasons with the club. During the 1969–1970 season, however, he was selected to the West Division's All-Star team at the ABA's 3rd Annual All-Star Game despite appearing in only sixteen games overall for the season. McCarthy was his coach in the game. His nine minutes played and three points scored in the game were higher than his regular season averages that year.
. Davis remained with the franchise and played for two seasons with the Pros. During the 1970–71 season, he played in twelve minutes per game and averaged six points per game, season bests at the time. His playing time regressed the following season and his numbers dropped accordingly.
The Pros were renamed the Memphis Tams
in time for the 1972–73 season, and Babe McCarthy was replaced as head coach by Bob Bass
. Under Bass, Davis' playing time increased and his numbers followed suit; he set new season highs by averaging thirteen points per game and eight rebounds per game. His playing time diminished slightly in the 1973–74 season, one which saw Bass be replaced by Butch van Breda Kolff, and he averaged over five fewer points and two-and-a-half rebounds per game fewer than he did the previous year.
for the 1974–75 season. He shot 52.8% from the field in his first season, finishing among the league's top ten in field goal percentage
, while averaging nearly twelve points and six-and-a-half rebounds per game.
The following season, the Conquistadors were sold to new ownership, who renamed the team the San Diego Sails
. Davis was one of only three players, along with Bo Lamar
and Caldwell Jones
, who were retained by the Sails for the 1975–76 season. The Sails would only last 11 games before folding; Davis played in only fifty-one minutes in seven games with the Sails. These were the final games of his professional career. He retired having scored over 3,500 points and having grabbed over 2,000 rebounds in his eight-season career.
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
. A center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
and forward during his career, he played for five different ABA teams and played in an ABA All-Star Game in 1970
1970 ABA All-Star Game
GAME 3: at Indiana State Fair Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana, January 24, 1970MVP: Spencer Haywood, Denver RocketsCoaches:* East: Bob Leonard, Indiana Pacers* West: Babe McCarthy, New Orleans Buccaneers-Western Conference: -Eastern Conference:...
.
Early life
Davis was born in Raleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
. He also attended Ligon High School in Raleigh. After graduating, he enrolled at North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels....
. In his four years at the college, Davis scored over 1,000 points and averaged over 15 points per game.
New Orleans Buccaneers
In 1968, Davis was selected by the National Basketball AssociationNational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
in the 10th round of the NBA Draft
1968 NBA Draft
The 1968 NBA Draft was the 22nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 3, 1968 and May 8, 1968 before the 1968–69 season. In this draft, 14 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year...
. He was also drafted by the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
's New Orleans Buccaneers
New Orleans Buccaneers
New Orleans Buccaneers was a charter member of the American Basketball Association. After three seasons in New Orleans, Louisiana the franchise moved to Memphis, Tennessee where it became the Pros, Tams and Sounds for four years before an abortive move to Baltimore in 1975.-Origins:With the...
in a separate draft that same year. Davis opted to play for the Bucs, where he became a role player for the Babe McCarthy
Babe McCarthy
James Harrison "Babe" McCarthy , sometimes called "Ol' Magnolia Mouth" or just "Magnolia Mouth", was an American professional and collegiate basketball coach. McCarthy was originally from Baldwyn, Mississippi...
-coached club. He played sparingly in his first two seasons with the club. During the 1969–1970 season, however, he was selected to the West Division's All-Star team at the ABA's 3rd Annual All-Star Game despite appearing in only sixteen games overall for the season. McCarthy was his coach in the game. His nine minutes played and three points scored in the game were higher than his regular season averages that year.
Memphis Pros and Memphis Tams
The Buccaneers moved to Memphis for the 1970–71 season and became the Memphis ProsMemphis Pros
Memphis Pros were an American Basketball Association team during the 1970-1971 and 1971-1972 seasons.-Origins:The New Orleans Buccaneers were a charter member of the ABA and played for three seasons, 1967-1970, winning the Western Division championship in 1969...
. Davis remained with the franchise and played for two seasons with the Pros. During the 1970–71 season, he played in twelve minutes per game and averaged six points per game, season bests at the time. His playing time regressed the following season and his numbers dropped accordingly.
The Pros were renamed the Memphis Tams
Memphis Tams
The Memphis Tams were an American Basketball Association team during the 1972-1973 and 1973-1974 seasons. The team had previously been the New Orleans Buccaneers for three seasons before moving to Memphis, Tennessee where it became the Memphis Pros from 1970 through 1972. The team later became...
in time for the 1972–73 season, and Babe McCarthy was replaced as head coach by Bob Bass
Bob Bass
Bob Bass is a former basketball coach and executive who worked in the NCAA, American Basketball Association, and the National Basketball Association....
. Under Bass, Davis' playing time increased and his numbers followed suit; he set new season highs by averaging thirteen points per game and eight rebounds per game. His playing time diminished slightly in the 1973–74 season, one which saw Bass be replaced by Butch van Breda Kolff, and he averaged over five fewer points and two-and-a-half rebounds per game fewer than he did the previous year.
San Diego Conquistadors and San Diego Sails
Davis left the Tams as a free agent and went on to join the San Diego ConquistadorsSan Diego Conquistadors
The San Diego Conquistadors, nicknamed the "Q's", were an American Basketball Association team based in San Diego, California. They were the only expansion team in the history of the ABA. The team played from 1972 to 1975. They were replaced in the ABA by the San Diego Sails.-San Diego...
for the 1974–75 season. He shot 52.8% from the field in his first season, finishing among the league's top ten in field goal percentage
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
, while averaging nearly twelve points and six-and-a-half rebounds per game.
The following season, the Conquistadors were sold to new ownership, who renamed the team the San Diego Sails
San Diego Sails
The San Diego Sails were an American Basketball Association team based in San Diego, California; the team played an incomplete season only, beginning the 1975-1976 ABA season but folding before its completion.-San Diego Conquistadors:...
. Davis was one of only three players, along with Bo Lamar
Bo Lamar
Dwight "Bo" Lamar is a former professional American basketball player. He attended high school in Columbus and graduated from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette....
and Caldwell Jones
Caldwell Jones
Caldwell "Pops" Jones is a retired American professional basketball player.Jones was drafted from Albany State University by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 14th pick in the 1973 NBA Draft...
, who were retained by the Sails for the 1975–76 season. The Sails would only last 11 games before folding; Davis played in only fifty-one minutes in seven games with the Sails. These were the final games of his professional career. He retired having scored over 3,500 points and having grabbed over 2,000 rebounds in his eight-season career.