If you didn’t know any better, you might think Glen Davis was retired. He hasn’t played in an NBA game since the 2014-15 season, as he needed surgery on his ankle following an underwhelming two years with the Los Angeles Clippers. He’s kept busy during that time — he’s been a fixture on KG’s Area 21 on TNT, for example — but for the last few years, he hasn’t been in the NBA.
The answer why is simple, if not a little tragic: No NBA team wants to bring him on board. Davis has been willing to work his way back to the NBA, even entering the draft pool for G League players this past year. Still, no one bit on the former member of the Celtics, Magic, and Clippers … well, almost no one.
The past year has seen Davis suit up for Power, the BIG3 squad featuring names like league MVP Corey Maggette, Quentin Richardson, Chris “Birdman” Andersen, and Cuttino Mobley. They’ve established themselves as the best team in the league, as their 7-1 record is tied atop the BIG3 table.
On Friday night in Brooklyn, BIG3 will celebrate the end of its second season with its title and consolation games airing on Fox at 8 p.m. Ice Cube is slated to perform before the games tip off, and in the championship, Power will square off against 3’s Company, which went 5-3 on the year and is led by Baron Davis and Drew Gooden.
Before a champ is crowned, Davis spoke to Dime about his road to BIG3 and what it’s been like playing in the basketball league during its second year.
Why’d you decide to play in BIG3 this year?
Well, nobody gave me a contract except Ice Cube. Let’s start there, I put my name in the G League Draft, I still didn’t get drafted. So it’s kind of crazy, but it’s been a blessing, just being able to play the game of basketball again. I broke my ankle and my fifth metatarsal my last year with the Clippers. So just being able to play again has been unbelievable, I’m just thankful that Ice Cube let me join this league.
How’d it all come together? Was it just Ice or someone reaching out and saying “Glen, we want you to play”?
It was just Ice. From then on, when they heard that I was trying to play, my teammates started calling me like Corey and Cuttino and stuff like that, so that’s how I joined their team.
How’d you view joining the league? Was it a way to scratch a competitive itch you had after being out of the league or was it a “Hey, I might as well have fun doing what I do best” thing?
You know what? It was the only opportunity that I got after I was cleared to play again. It was what was on the table and it’s obviously been a great experience for me just being able to be back in the game and playing again around my peers.
What’s been the biggest surprise about this league in the year you’ve played in it?
Just how much the fans still remember the Cuttino Mobleys of the world and the Quentin Richardsons, so many people that have been playing at a high level and the fans coming to the games and stuff like that has been great.
I think a lot of people have the perception that this is a retirement league. What do you say to the people who would say that?
Whoever thinks that they can play basketball, come play and come see these guys play. These guys can still play at a high level and play really well, so for people that say that, they’ve probably never played basketball.
Do you find this format — half court, three-on-three ball — something that plays to your strengths or was there an adjustment period to playing like this?
It’s a little bit of both, because I’m a big guy, you have nobody double-teaming you, you have more space to work and things like that. And also, if you can’t guard somebody, it shows, so you’ve gotta be able to play both sides of the ball really, really well.
Let’s talk about your team for a sec — what’s it been like playing with a group of guys who weren’t just in the NBA, but had success during their NBA careers?
Stars. It’s been great, especially playing with Cuttino, because I played with Q-Rich in Orlando. I never played with Birdman, but just playing with those guys has been great. I’ve always looked up to Cuttino and Corey, just being able to play on the same team as them has been great to see why they were so great in the NBA. It’s just awesome.
Any fun stories from being with this group, because watching practice, it seems like you’re pretty tight-knit and comfortable around one another.
We’re just fun and love the game. Birdman has so much energy and pizzaz, Cuttino with how he dresses every game, it’s like the f*cking Dos Equis man. He can be the new Dos Equis man. Corey, he’s been a great captain and an awesome player and teammate.
In your eyes, why has your team been so successful this season?
Really because we understand each other’s roles. We don’t have guys like me out there trying to shoot threes all day or not doing my job. Everybody falls in line and is held accountable, we’re just held to a certain standard.
If someone is on the fence about tuning into the final, why should they check it out?
Because it’s the game of basketball, and if you love the game of basketball in any type of way, you’ll like to see some of the players that you watched play.
