Career Timeline of Anthony Davis: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Anthony Davis, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Anthony Davis, nicknamed "AD" and "the Brow," is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards in the NBA. A ten-time NBA All-Star, Davis has earned five All-NBA Team selections and five NBA All-Defensive Team selections. He was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. Playing primarily as a power forward and center, Davis is recognized as one of the greatest power forwards in basketball history.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1966: Drafted

In 2012, Anthony Davis became the fifth Chicago-area first overall NBA selection following Cazzie Russell (1966).

1972: Drafted

In 2012, Anthony Davis became the fifth Chicago-area first overall NBA selection following LaRue Martin (1972).

1973: Davis Joins Elite Company in NBA History

In December 2022, Anthony Davis became only the second player in NBA history since blocks became an official stat in the 1973–74 season, to put up at least 55 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks in a game.

1973: Davis Achieves Rare Stat Combination

On November 22, 2022, Anthony Davis became the first player since the 1973-74 season to record at least 35 points, 20 rebounds, 5 steals, and 5 blocks in a game.

1981: Drafted

In 2012, Anthony Davis became the fifth Chicago-area first overall NBA selection following Mark Aguirre (1981).

1993: NBA youngest performer

On March 16, 2014, Anthony Davis achieved a career-high 40 points and a career-high 21 rebounds in a 121–120 overtime win against the Boston Celtics, marking 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.

1999: Davis Joins Lakers' Record

In November 2022, Anthony Davis became the third Laker in franchise history to record 30-plus points and 15-plus rebounds in four consecutive games, joining Elgin Baylor and Shaquille O'Neal (November 19–26, 1999).

March 2003: Davis Becomes First Laker to Drop Multiple Games

In 2023, Anthony Davis became the first Laker to drop multiple games with at least 30 points and 20 rebounds in a season since Shaquille O'Neal in the 2003–04 season.

2003: First Laker with 40-point and 20-rebound performance since Shaquille O'Neal

On October 29, 2019, Anthony Davis became the first Laker to put up a 40-point and 20-rebound performance since Shaquille O'Neal in 2003. Davis set the NBA record for free throws in a quarter (18) and the Lakers record for free throws in a half (18) and game (26).

2006: Tied NCAA Championship Game Block Record

In the 2011-12 season, during the championship game, Anthony Davis 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.

2008: Drafted

In 2012, Anthony Davis became the fifth Chicago-area first overall NBA selection following Derrick Rose (2008).

February 26, 2010: First 40-point performance

On March 16, 2014, Anthony Davis achieved a career-high 40 points. The performance was the first 40-point performance by a Pelican/Hornet since David West on February 26, 2010.

August 13, 2010: Committed to Kentucky

On August 13, 2010, Anthony Davis verbally committed to Kentucky, choosing it over DePaul, Ohio State and Syracuse.

August 2010: Nike Global Challenge

In August 2010, Anthony Davis played in the Nike Global Challenge in Hillsboro, Oregon, where he scored 23 points and had 9 rebounds in the opening game.

August 24, 2010: Rated Number One Player Nationally

On August 24, 2010, Anthony Davis became the number one rated player in the national class of 2011 at Scout.com.

November 10, 2010: Signed National Letter of Intent

On November 10, 2010, Anthony Davis signed his National Letter of Intent and began his senior season.

March 30, 2011: McDonald's All-American Game Performance

On March 30, 2011, in the McDonald's All-American Game held at the United Center, Anthony Davis contributed 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 4 blocks.

November 11, 2011: Kentucky Debut

On November 11, 2011, Anthony Davis debuted with a double-double for Kentucky, scoring 23 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 3 assists against Marist. This performance put him in the company of only Jones and Sam Bowie as the only Kentucky Freshmen with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in their debut.

November 14, 2011: SEC Freshman of the Week Honor

On November 14, 2011, Anthony Davis earned his first SEC Freshman of the Week (FOTW) honor.

2011: Rated Number One Player

After three seasons of Chicago Public League play, Anthony Davis was rated as the number one player in the class of 2011 by Scout.com and was listed in the ESPNU 100.

2011: USBWA National Freshman of the Year

Anthony Davis was named the USBWA National Freshman of the Year in 2011 and was selected by the USBWA as the Player of the Year.

2011: Playoff Berth in 2011

At the end of the 2015 regular season, Davis recorded 31 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks in a victory over the San Antonio Spurs earning the franchise's first playoff berth since 2011.

2011: Broke Kentucky single-season blocked shots record

During the 2011-12 season, Anthony Davis blocked more shots per game than most Division I men's teams. On January 17, 2011, he set the Kentucky men's basketball record for single-season blocked shots, surpassing Melvin Turpin and Andre Riddick, who each had 83.

2011: High School Honors

In 2011, Anthony Davis was named to the McDonald's All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic, along with being a first team USA Today All-USA high school basketball team selection and a first-team Parade All-American.

2011: Kentucky Commitment and Expectations

In 2011, before Anthony Davis began his college career at Kentucky, he was projected as a potential first overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, with comparisons drawn to Marcus Camby.

2011: Pelicans' First Postseason Win Since 2011

In Game 1 of the Pelicans' first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers, Anthony Davis contributed 35 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks, and two steals in a 97–95 victory in 2011. This marked the Pelicans' first postseason win since 2011 and the first of Davis's six-year career.

January 16, 2012: Third SEC Freshman of the Week Honor

On January 16, 2012, Anthony Davis earned his third SEC Freshman of the Week award, averaging 16 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2.5 steals, and 2 assists in wins at Auburn and Tennessee, where he achieved game-high point totals.

February 1, 2012: Second SEC Freshman of the Week Honor

On February 1, 2012, Anthony Davis received his second SEC Freshman of the Week award after averaging 14.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, six blocks, 1.5 steals, and 1 assist in wins over Lamar and fourth-rated Louisville.

May 2, 2012: Named Finalist for 2012 Olympic Basketball Team

On May 2, 2012, Anthony Davis was named as one of the finalists for the 2012 Olympic basketball team, following injuries to other players, marking the possibility of competing in the Olympics without prior NBA experience.

May 3, 2012: Fourth SEC Freshman of the Week Honor

On May 3, 2012, Anthony Davis was awarded his fourth SEC Freshman of the Week honor after averaging 15.5 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks in wins over Georgia and Florida.

June 15, 2012: Signed with Wasserman Media Group

On June 15, 2012, Anthony Davis signed with Arn Tellem and Thad Foucher of the Wasserman Media Group as his agents.

June 2012: Trademarked unibrow sayings

In June 2012, Anthony Davis trademarked his unibrow sayings "Fear The Brow" and "Raise The Brow".

July 12, 2012: Selected for the Olympic Team

On July 12, 2012, Anthony Davis was selected for the Olympic team after Blake Griffin's injury, making him the only college player on the team. The team won the gold medal in London.

July 24, 2012: Signed with New Orleans Hornets

On July 24, 2012, Anthony Davis signed a three-year $16 million guaranteed contract with the New Orleans Hornets, as prescribed by the NBA's collective bargaining agreement.

November 1, 2012: NBA Debut

On November 1, 2012, Anthony Davis made his NBA debut for the New Orleans Hornets against the San Antonio Spurs, scoring a team-high 21 points in a losing effort.

December 11, 2012: Cleared to Play

On December 11, 2012, Anthony Davis was cleared to play after missing 11 games due to a stress reaction on his ankle.

2012: NCAA Tournament Performance and Award

During the 2012 NCAA Tournament, Anthony Davis was selected to the NCAA South Regional All-Tournament Team and won the NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player award.

2012: Kentucky National Championship

In 2012, Anthony Davis led Kentucky to a national championship and was named the most outstanding player of the 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

2012: NBA Draft and Olympics Selection

In 2012, Anthony Davis 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.

2012: Player of the Year Awards

In 2012, Anthony Davis was named the Sporting News Men's College Basketball Player of the Year, won the USBWA's Robertson trophy, the Adolph Rupp Trophy, and was recognized by CBSSports.com as their national player of the year, along with several other awards.

2012: All-American First Team Selections

In 2012, Anthony Davis was named to the Sporting News All-American first team, as well as receiving first team All-American honors from the United States Basketball Writers Association, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), CBSSports.com, and the Associated Press, making him a unanimous first team All-American selection.

2012: SEC Player and Freshman of the Year

In 2012, Anthony Davis was 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. He also received Freshman and Player of the Year honors from Sporting News and Player and Newcomer of the Year from the Associated Press for the SEC. Additionally, he was selected for the SEC All-Tournament Team following the 2012 SEC tournament.

2012: Olympic Gold Medal

In 2012, Anthony Davis won a gold medal with the United States national team at the 2012 Olympic Games.

2012: NBA Draft Projections

In 2012, before Anthony Davis played college basketball, he was being mentioned as the first overall selection in the NBA draft.

February 15, 2013: Rising Stars Challenge Appearance

On February 15, 2013, Anthony Davis participated in the Rising Stars Challenge during the 2013 NBA All-Star Game weekend.

March 2013: Davis Matches Kobe Bryant's Record

In December 2022, Anthony Davis became the first Laker with back-to-back 40-point games since Kobe Bryant in March 2013.

October 16, 2013: Pelicans Exercise Option on Davis's Contract

On October 16, 2013, the New Orleans Pelicans exercised the team's third-year option on Anthony Davis's contract during the preseason of his sophomore year for the 2013-14 season.

2013: Begins 2013-14 NBA Season

Anthony Davis began the 2013-14 NBA season with the newly-renamed Pelicans. He was nominated for NBA Player of the Week, but lost out to Kevin Love.

2013: NBA All-Star Game participant

On January 29, 2014, Anthony Davis was named a Rising Stars Challenge participant as part of the 2014 NBA All-Star Game weekend. On February 7, 2014, he was selected to replace Kobe Bryant in the 2014 NBA All-Star Game.

March 16, 2014: Career-High Performance Against Celtics

April 16, 2014: NBA Leading Shot Blocker

Anthony Davis finished the 2013-14 NBA season as the NBA leader in blocked shots per game (2.82). Davis was the youngest NBA leading shot blocker at 21 years, 36 days on April 16, 2014.

2014: Launched AD's Flight Academy

In 2014, Anthony Davis launched AD's Flight Academy, which holds charitable events in the Greater-New Orleans area.

2014: Won gold medal at 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup

In 2014, Anthony Davis was a member of the national team that won the gold medal in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup over Serbia. He averaged 12.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

2014: World Cup Gold Medal

In 2014, Anthony Davis won a gold medal with the United States national team at the 2014 World Cup.

July 9, 2015: Davis Signs $145 Million Contract Extension

On July 9, 2015, Davis signed a five-year, $145 million contract extension with the Pelicans.

2015: Tellem became NBA executive

In 2015, Arn Tellem left Wasserman Media Group to become an NBA executive.

March 11, 2017: Davis Scores 46 Points and Grabs 21 Rebounds

On March 11, 2017, Davis scored 46 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in a 125–122 overtime win over the Charlotte Hornets.

March 31, 2017: Davis Reaches 2,000 Points in a Season

On March 31, 2017, Davis had 19 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in a win over the Sacramento Kings. During the game, Davis became the first player in Pelicans history to reach 2,000 points in a season.

November 22, 2017: Davis Moves to Second in Franchise History for Career Points

On November 22, 2017, Davis had 29 points and 11 rebounds in a 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).

December 27, 2017: Davis Scores 33 Points, 11 Rebounds and Six Blocks

On December 27, 2017, Davis had 33 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks in a win over the Brooklyn Nets.

2017: NBA All-Star Game MVP

In 2017, Anthony Davis was named the NBA All-Star Game MVP after scoring a then-record 52 points in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game.

January 14, 2018: Davis Scores Season-High 48 Points

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 an overtime victory over the New York Knicks.

2018: Signed with Klutch Sports Group

In 2018, Anthony Davis signed with Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group.

January 2, 2019: Davis Posts Career-High Rebounds

On January 2, 2019, Anthony Davis posted a career-high and franchise-record 26 rebounds along with 34 points against the Brooklyn Nets.

July 2019: Davis Traded to the Lakers

In July 2019, Anthony Davis was traded by the Pelicans 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.

October 22, 2019: Davis' Lakers Debut

On October 22, 2019, Anthony Davis made his debut for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Los Angeles Clippers, recording 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in 37 minutes during a 112–102 loss.

2019: Trade to Los Angeles Lakers

In 2019, Anthony Davis was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

January 3, 2020: Davis Scores 46 Points Against Pelicans

On January 3, 2020, Anthony Davis scored 46 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a 123–113 win against his former team, the Pelicans.

January 2020: Davis Declines Lakers' Contract Extension Offer

In January 2020, Anthony Davis declined the Lakers' offer of a four-year, $146 million max extension, opting to enter free agency where he could potentially earn a five-year, $202 million max contract in the upcoming summer.

December 3, 2020: Davis Re-Signs with the Lakers

On December 3, 2020, Anthony 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.

2020: NBA Championship with Lakers

In 2020, Anthony Davis won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.

2020: Davis Trade Request and Fallout

In January 2019, Davis informed the Pelicans that he would not sign a contract extension and requested a trade, making him eligible to become a free agent in the summer of 2020. Subsequently, the NBA fined him $50,000 for making the request public.

2021: Named to NBA 75th Anniversary Team

In 2021, Anthony Davis was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

June 19, 2022: Signed with FaZe Clan

On June 19, 2022, Anthony Davis signed with FaZe Clan, joining Faze Clan's Nuke Squad for Call of Duty.

November 13, 2022: Davis Scores 37 Points, Grabs 18 Rebounds

On November 13, 2022, Anthony Davis scored 37 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a 116–103 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

November 13, 2022: Davis Records Season-Highs in Points and Rebounds

On November 22, 2022, Anthony 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.

January 25, 2023: Davis Returns From Foot Injury

On January 25, 2023, Anthony Davis returned after missing twenty games due to a right foot injury, contributing 21 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks in 26 minutes off the bench during a 113–104 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

February 26, 2023: Davis Leads Lakers to Comeback Victory

On February 26, 2023, Anthony Davis 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.

August 4, 2023: Signed Contract Extension with Lakers

On August 4, 2023, Anthony Davis signed a three-year, $186 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers.

December 10, 2023: Won the inaugural NBA Cup with the Lakers

On December 10, 2023, Anthony Davis and the Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup after winning the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament. Davis scored 41 points, had 20 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks against the Indiana Pacers in the championship game and was recognized as a member of the All-Tournament team.

2023: Davis Makes Playoff Career-High Blocks

During the 2023 playoffs, Anthony Davis recorded a playoff career-high seven blocks in Game 1 of the Lakers' first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies. Davis became the third Lakers player with 50 blocks in a single postseason.

2023: NBA Cup win

In 2023, Anthony Davis won the first edition of the NBA Cup with the Los Angeles Lakers.

January 9, 2024: Scored Season-High 41 Points Against Raptors

On January 9, 2024, Anthony Davis scored 20 of his season-high 41 points in the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors, also recording eleven rebounds and six assists in the 132–131 win.

April 14, 2024: Record surpassed

Anthony Davis's record as youngest NBA leading shot blocker at 21 years, 36 days (on April 16, 2014) was surpassed 10 seasons later by Victor Wembanyama at 20 years, 101 days on April 14, 2024.

April 15, 2024: Named to the 2024 U.S. Olympic team

On April 15, 2024, Anthony Davis was named to the 2024 U.S. Olympic team, returning to the national team after a 10-year gap.

2024: Contract Termination Option

In 2020, Anthony Davis re-signed with the Lakers on a five-year contract that included an early termination option prior to the fifth season in 2024-25.

2024: Named as reserve for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game

In 2024, Anthony Davis achieved several milestones. On February 1, he was named as reserve for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, marking his ninth selection. On April 15, he was named to the 2024 U.S. Olympic team, returning to the national team after a 10-year gap.

2024: Olympic Gold Medal

In 2024, Anthony Davis won a gold medal with the United States national team at the 2024 Olympic Games.

January 27, 2025: Opened the game against the Charlotte Hornets with impressive stats

On January 27, 2025, Anthony Davis started strong against the Charlotte Hornets, scoring 21 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the first quarter, ultimately leading to a 42-point, 23-rebound win.

February 2, 2025: Traded to the Dallas Mavericks

On February 2, 2025, Anthony Davis, along with Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris.

February 2025: Trade to Dallas Mavericks

In February 2025, Anthony Davis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Dončić, in what was regarded as one of the most unexpected trades in American sports history.