You’ve probably heard the name Howard Davis pop up in sports circles, but usually, it’s followed by a confusing silence. Are we talking about the legendary Olympic boxer? Or maybe a coach? If you’re digging through 1970s basketball archives, you’re actually looking for Ronald Howard Davis, known in the record books as Ron Davis.
He didn't have the flashy, decades-long career of a superstar. He wasn't a household name like Larry Bird or Magic Johnson. But the story of this specific Howard Davis NBA player profile is a wild look at the "fringe" of professional basketball during an era where the league was still finding its footing.
The Reality of the Ronald Howard Davis NBA Journey
Let’s get the facts straight. Ron Davis—full name Ronald Howard Davis—was a 6'6" small forward who carved out a niche for himself when the NBA was a much grittier, less polished product than the billion-dollar machine it is today.
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1954, Davis took the scenic route to the pros. He started at Glendale Community College before heading to Washington State. Honestly, his college numbers were solid enough to catch the eyes of scouts, leading the Atlanta Hawks to snag him in the fifth round of the 1976 NBA Draft. Being the 70th overall pick back then meant you were fighting for your life every single practice. There were no guaranteed mega-millions waiting for fifth-rounders.
He debuted for the Hawks in November 1976. It was a brief cup of coffee. He played just seven games that season, averaging about 2.9 points. And then? He vanished from the NBA for three years.
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The Minor League Legend You Never Knew
This is where the story gets interesting. Most guys get cut and that's it. They go sell insurance. Not Davis. He became a certified legend in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), specifically with the Anchorage Northern Knights.
Think about that for a second. Playing pro ball in Alaska in the late 70s. It sounds like the plot of a Will Ferrell movie, but for Davis, it was a scoring clinic. He didn't just play; he dominated.
- He was the CBA MVP in 1980.
- He won a CBA championship the same year.
- He was a four-time scoring champion in that league.
Basically, he was too good for the minors but struggled to find the right "fit" in the majors. It’s a classic basketball tragedy. You're the best player in every room you walk into, except for the one room that pays the big checks.
The San Diego Clippers Comeback
Because he was torching the CBA, the San Diego Clippers (before they moved to LA) gave him another shot in 1980. This was the meat of his NBA career. He played 64 games during the 1980-81 season, averaging 5.8 points and roughly 2 rebounds per game.
He wasn't a starter. He was a role player. A "bench spark." He played with a certain desperation that you only see from guys who have spent years riding buses through Alaskan snowstorms to play in high school gyms.
He stayed with the Clippers for a bit of the 1981-82 season before his NBA journey finally hit the end of the road. His final career stats? 78 games played, 5.3 points per game, and a 42% field goal percentage. Not Hall of Fame numbers, but he beat the odds twice just to get on the court.
Why People Get Him Confused
The name "Howard Davis" is a magnet for search engine confusion. You’ve got Howard Davis Jr., the 1976 Olympic gold medalist in boxing, who is an absolute icon. Then you have guys like Hubert Davis (the North Carolina coach) or Baron Davis.
If you are looking for a Howard Davis NBA player specifically, you are almost certainly looking for Ronald Howard Davis. The confusion usually stems from old box scores or regional newspaper clippings that might have used his middle name or simply listed him as "H. Davis" in error.
The Legacy of a Professional Scorer
What can we actually learn from a career like this?
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Success isn't always a straight line. Davis is the ultimate example of the "AAB" player—Always About to Break. He had the talent to lead leagues in scoring, but the NBA is about more than just putting the ball in the hole; it's about timing, coaching preferences, and sometimes just plain luck.
He proved that there is a massive world of professional basketball outside of the NBA. His dominance in the CBA during its heyday is arguably more impressive than his 5-point average in San Diego. He was a king in Anchorage.
Actionable Insights for Basketball Historians
If you’re researching players from this era or trying to track down memorabilia, keep these tips in mind:
- Search by "Ron Davis": Using "Howard" will mostly lead you to boxing results or modern college coaches.
- Check the CBA Records: If you want to see his real highlights, look for 1978–1980 Anchorage Northern Knights archives.
- Don't Trust Every "Davis" Box Score: The late 70s were notorious for clerical errors in stat tracking. Always cross-reference with Basketball-Reference or official league logs.
The NBA is full of "ghosts"—players who were stars in their own right but whose legacies were swallowed by the passage of time and the lack of digital archives. Ronald Howard Davis is one of those ghosts. He was a bucket-getter, a survivor of the minor league grind, and for a few years, one of the few people on earth who could say they belonged in the NBA.