How Bruin-Turned-All-Star Balanced Individual Stats With Team Success At UCLA

The needle was threaded somewhat.

En route to becoming the third overall pick out of UCLA in 1999 and eventually a two-time All-Star, Bruins point guard Baron Davis acknowledges now that he wanted to win NCAA titles for his hometown team, but not at the expense of his own personal flashiness.

During a recent appearance on The Bootleg Kev Podcast with REAL 92.3 FM LA radio host Bootleg Kev, Davis opened up about just how much he had to thread the needle of playing for himself while also serving the program while in school from 1997-1999.

While at UCLA, the 6'3" Crossroads School alum was named an AP Third-Team All-American, a First-Team All-Pac-10 honoree, a Parade All-American First Teamer, and the Gatorade Player of the Year in 1997. 

During his sophomore season in 1998-99, Davis averaged 15.9 points on .481/.343/.599 shooting splits, 5.1 assists, 2.5 steals, and, yes, some very cool retroactive mixtapes.

Davis didn't pull his punches in assessing how he balanced his impulse to submit highlight reel-worthy individual plays and counting stats while also striving to compete for title glory with his teammates.

“For me, it was just like, I want to win a national championship, but I also wanna light this b**** on fire, you know what I mean? Let’s send it up," Davis noted. "Crosses, dunks, all that… no matter what, we gonna create some entertainment. Growing up watching UCLA basketball, they was always good, always highlights, so I was like I gotta go there, and I gotta make sure I get my highlights." 

"It was more so like they have to remember me," he continued. "I can’t just be a traditional point guard that got good stats and make All-Conference. No, I gotta do some s*** where these people are gonna remember me.”

Davis suited up for 13 NBA seasons with the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and finally the New York Knicks.