The 2000-01 Hornets experienced big changes before the season, shipping out Eddie Jones and Anthony Mason for Jamal Mashburn and PJ Brown. Baron Davis, a 21-year-old point guard, emerged as one of the best young players in the league. Baron Davis joins FS Creator Dylan Dreyfuss to relive his breakout season. They discuss the league, what made the Hornets so special, and more.
Ricky Davis has come a long way. He entered the league as a 17-year-old kid from Davenport, Iowa, and over the next 12 years would share the court with some of the best players to ever lace up. FS creator Dylan Dreyfuss is joined by 8-year NBA veteran and current media mogul, Jelani McCoy. Jelani and Ricky are both members of the 1998 NBA Draft class and were teammates with the 2003/04 Cleveland Cavs.
Davis relives many of the stops in his journey, most notably the early 2000's with the Heat and Cavs, a 2005 season in Boston in which he finished runner-up in the Sixth Man of the Year voting, and his final stops in Minnesota and Miami. Over his career, Davis was labeled as a journey man, and sometimes even worse as a "good stats, bad team" guy. While he was aware of some of the narratives clouding him, it only fueled him to keep going and do what he loved most: getting buckets.
Other conversation points include NBA accessory culture in the 2000s, the great/forgotten Dajuan Wagner, 2005 First Round matchup vs. the Malice Pacers, the fabled UCLA Men's league, his infamous triple double, baptizing Steve Nash and more.