When it comes to playing wherever basketball takes you, former Wyoming star and NBA player Josh Davis has few peers. He has played for teams from coast to coast and overseas. Now, six years after his last basket with the Cowboys, Davis, 28, is with the Colorado 14ers of the NBA D-League. He took time after a shootaround in Austin, Texas, on Friday to chat with staff writer Chris Dempsey.
Q: How many leagues?
A: Let’s see, there’s Italy, the CBA, Russia Federation . . . like six or seven.
Q: What was your favorite?
A: Probably the CBA, honestly. I loved the CBA. That was probably the best time of my life, playing for Larry Krystkowiak one year and Joe Wolf.
Q: So you’ve got a ton of suitcase stickers?
A: I played for, I think, 12 or 13 different teams. So it would be that many cities, I guess.
Q: Is there a record for most leagues and cities played in?
A: (Laughs.) I don’t know. If there was, I’d like to know. It’d be nice to have my name in that book.
Q: You live in Colorado. How has it been to be back in Colorado with the 14ers?
A: It’s great to be back. I live here in Colorado in Golden with my wife and two daughters. I’ve never been able to play at home and live at home. It’s just a great feeling when you’re around family. I’m extremely happy.
Q: You got a taste of the NBA. When you get there, does it make the flames hotter to get back?
A: Yeah, it does. Everybody wants to compete at the highest level, of course. I kind of just live life one day at a time. I’m happy where I’m at, and if I get back I get back, and we’ll see what happens. But, yeah, everybody wants to play in the NBA. That’s the goal, right?
Q: No doubt. But not everybody has already been there.
A: Definitely. My year in Philly, and then bouncing around to Milwaukee, Houston and Phoenix, it was a genuine experience. It was interesting. I was playing 20 minutes a game for a while. I had some big games. I really, really, really enjoyed it. It’s a different feeling. The stress, the pressure is a lot higher. It’s definitely a fun place to be. I would be thrilled to go back.
Q: How much longer are you going to play?
A: Probably as long as my body allows me to. Or until the kids go to school, and then we’ll probably have to make some adjustments. My first daughter is 2 1/2, and I just had my second one two weeks ago. So, about five years or so.
Q: How much do you keep up with Wyoming?
A: I talked to (head coach Heath) Schroyer a little bit last year. I haven’t talked to him for a while. I haven’t followed them a whole lot; I know they’ve really been struggling pretty much ever since my class left. But I think Schroyer’s going to do a very good job of rebuilding that place, once he gets his own people in there. And, hopefully, we’ll get back to where we were when I was there.
Q: Looking back over your career, what has been your greatest basketball moment?
A: I would say probably the most memorable achievement by far back in college was winning the conference championship two years in a row. Then going to the NCAA Tournament, the experience was unforgettable. And then rivaling that would be my first start with Philly against Boston at home. I had 18 and nine, or something like that. It was a very emotional experience. My grandfather was in the hospital, so it ended up being a whole lot more than just your average game.
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
Fab five
In his time off the court, Josh Davis loves music. In college, he played bass in a band. With that in mind, here are five of his favorite bands:
1. Blue October
2. Snow Patrol
3. Death Cab for Cutie
4. Disturbed
5. Jeremy Clay
