Basketball history is kind of a funny thing. We tend to remember the guys who won three rings and had shoe deals, but we often overlook the absolute "bucket getters" who dominated the smaller stages. Ronald Howard Davis, mostly known as Ron Davis, is exactly that guy. If you’ve ever looked at 1970s and 80s hoops and wondered who the scariest scorers were outside of the NBA spotlight, you’ve likely bumped into his name.
He wasn't just a role player. He was a professional problem for anyone trying to guard him.
The Phoenix Sensation and the Wazzu Years
Ron Davis didn't just appear out of thin air. He was a Phoenix kid through and through, tearing it up at Maryvale High School before taking the junior college route. Honestly, his stint at Glendale Community College (1972–1974) was basically a highlight reel that earned him First-team NJCAA All-American honors. People in Arizona still talk about those games. He had this specific kind of length and fluidity at 6'6" that made him a nightmare on the wing.
Then came Washington State.
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Pulling up to Pullman in 1974, he joined a Cougars program where he had to prove his NJCAA stats weren't a fluke. They weren't. He played two seasons there, showing enough "dog" in him to catch the eyes of NBA scouts. He wasn't the most polished shooter yet, but his athleticism was elite. That’s why the Atlanta Hawks took a flyer on him in the 5th round of the 1976 NBA Draft.
Ronald Howard Davis: Why the CBA Still Matters
Most fans think the NBA is the only place where "real" basketball happened back then. That’s a mistake. The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) was basically the Wild West of hoops, and Ron Davis was the undisputed sheriff.
After a brief cup of coffee with the Hawks in '76, Davis landed with the Anchorage Northern Knights. If you think playing basketball in Alaska sounds like a grind, you’re right. But Davis didn't just survive; he thrived. We're talking about a guy who won the CBA Most Valuable Player award in 1980 and led the league in scoring four separate times.
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- 1979: 29.9 PPG
- 1980: 32.0 PPG
- 1982: 35.1 PPG
- 1983: 30.3 PPG
Think about those numbers for a second. Averaging 35 points a game in a league filled with guys fighting for their lives to get back to the NBA? That's insane. He helped Anchorage grab a CBA Championship in 1980, and honestly, he was probably too good for that league.
The NBA Stints: Hawks and Clippers
Look, the NBA career of Howard Davis (or Ron, as the box scores usually read) wasn't a Hall of Fame run, but he was there. He played 78 games total. His longest stretch came with the San Diego Clippers during the 1980-81 season.
He played 64 games that year, averaging nearly 6 points a game in limited minutes. It’s one of those "what if" scenarios. If he’d played for a coach who let him loose like the Northern Knights did, would he have been a 20-point-per-game guy in the big leagues? Maybe. The efficiency was always the question mark at the highest level, but the raw scoring instinct was undeniable.
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The European Odyssey and Beyond
When the NBA doors started to close, Davis didn't hang it up. He did what the true hoopers do: he went overseas. He spent a massive chunk of the late 80s and 90s in France, playing for teams like Mulhouse, Strasbourg, and Antibes.
He was still playing professionally in Lithuania as late as 2000! That's a nearly 25-year career in professional basketball. You don't stay in the game that long unless you have a body made of steel and a jump shot that travels.
Why You Might Get Confused
If you're searching for "Howard Davis basketball player," you might see a few other names pop up. There was a Dr. Howard Davis who was a legendary athletic director and coach at Tuskegee. There’s also the fact that his son, Landry Shamet, has carved out a very solid NBA career of his own. It’s pretty wild to see that shooting DNA pass down through the generations.
Key Takeaways for Hoops Historians
If you want to understand the legacy of Ronald Howard Davis, you have to look past the NBA box scores. He was a pioneer of the "journeyman" life, proving that you could have a legendary career even if it wasn't spent entirely under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.
- Scoring is a skill: Leading any professional league in scoring four times is a feat.
- Longevity is king: Playing until your mid-40s is almost unheard of for a wing.
- CBA Legend status: He is firmly in the conversation for the greatest CBA player ever.
Next time you're debating who the best "unknown" scorers are, bring up Ron Davis. Check out some of the old CBA archives or look into those high-scoring French league seasons. It’s a deep dive into a brand of basketball that was gritty, high-octane, and purely about the love of the game. If you're looking for more info on 70s-80s fringe NBA stars, start by tracking the CBA MVP lists—you'll find some absolute gems there.