Davis spent his first two years of high school playing basketball at Hanover High School in Mechanicsville, Virginia before transferring to Benedictine High School in Richmond, Virginia. There, he led Benedectine to two state championships while averaging 22 points, 14 rebounds and 7 blocks as a senior. He accompanied future Tar Heel teammates Tyler Zeller and Larry Drew II in the McDonald's All-American Game and was selected to the Jordan Brand All-American Team. He was named Mr. Basketball of Virginia in 2008, which is given to Virginia's best high school basketball player. He also received recognition as co-player of the year in 2007. Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Davis was listed as the No. 4 power forward and the No. 15 player in the nation in 2008.
College career
Davis played in every game during the 2008–09 season, while starting in two of them. He averaged 6.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 18.8 minutes per game in his first season with the Tar Heels. Davis also led the team with 65 blocks with an average of 1.7 per game. In North Carolina's six wins during the 2009 NCAA Basketball Tournament, Davis averaged 8.2 points and 5.5 rebounds. In the 2009 NCAA championship game, Davis came off the bench to score 11 points and grab a team-high 8 rebounds, helping the Tar Heels to an 89–72 win over Michigan State. Davis was also named to the 2009 All-Freshman Team and was co-recipient of the team's Most Improved Player award. In April 2009, Davis announced he would return to North Carolina after his freshman year instead of declaring for the NBA draft. In February 2010, he suffered a broken wrist in a loss to Duke, which effectively ended his season. In 2009–10, he played 23 games, averaging 13.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.8 blocks per game. In April 2010, Davis declared for the NBA draft, foregoing his final two years of college eligibility. He signed with sports agentRob Pelinka.
Professional career
Toronto Raptors (2010–2013)
Davis was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the 13th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft. On July 6, 2010, he signed with the Raptors. After a month with the Raptors, Davis was assigned to the Erie BayHawks. On November 29, 2010, Davis was recalled by the Raptors. On December 1, 2010, he made his NBA debut against the Washington Wizards, recording 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks. On April 5, 2011, Davis recorded a career-high 22 points against the New York Knicks.
On July 9, 2015, Davis signed a three-year, $20 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. On November 20, 2015, he recorded 17 points and 15 rebounds in a 102–91 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. His 15 rebounds included a career-high 10 offensive rebounds, the most for a Blazer since Greg Oden had 10 in December 2009. He also became the first Blazers player to have at least 15 points and 15 rebounds off the bench since Travis Outlaw in 2006. On March 1, 2017, Davis was ruled out for the rest of the 2016–17 season after requiring arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder to repair an injured labrum.
On July 23, 2018, Davis signed with the Brooklyn Nets.
Utah Jazz (2019–present)
On July 20, 2019, Davis signed with the Utah Jazz. On November 2, 2019, the Utah Jazz announced that Davis suffered from a fractured left fibula during a seasons game vs. the Sacramento Kings and was expected to be sidelined for about four weeks.
