School’s Out for Davis

If the need for a news conference itself doesn’t serve as a good indicator of an underclassman basketball player’s intent to go pro, the choice of attire always does.

When a player is dressed well, he’s gone.

So as soon as Baron Davis took the stage in a hot, crowded room at UCLA’s J.D. Morgan Center on Wednesday afternoon, it wasn’t even necessary for him to say what he was about to say. His double-breasted, olive-green suit told the story.

In announcing his decision to forgo his final two seasons of eligibility, Davis talked about his excitement at getting a chance to fulfill his lifelong dream. He kept flashing his big smile. It wasn’t hard to feel happy for him.

He’s a good guy and a gifted player. But his leaving school at this stage in his career means there’s one thing you can’t call him: a winner.

UCLA players are reminded of the expectations placed upon them every time they practice under the championship banners at Pauley Pavilion. Not only did Davis not win a title, his Bruins never reached the Final Four. In fact, because he injured his knee in a second-round game against Michigan last year, Davis has never even played on the second weekend of the NCAA tournament.

Not a single Pacific 10 championship, either.

“I really didn’t accomplish anything that I set out to accomplish here,” Davis said. “That’s the part that kills me, that I wasn’t able to be recognized as one of the great players who came in and won a national championship.”

It takes much better credentials than that high school state championship Davis won at Santa Monica Crossroads to reach the top of the NBA. There’s a noteworthy trend first presented by Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post. For the past 20 years, every player who left college early and went on to lead his NBA team to a championship could claim an NCAA championship or multiple Final Four appearances on his resume. In other words, while in college those players proved they can win on a high level.

Magic Johnson left Michigan State after winning the NCAA championship his sophomore year and went on to win NBA championships in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988.

Isiah Thomas left Indiana after winning the NCAA championship as a sophomore, then won NBA championships in 1989 and 1990.

Michael Jordan left North Carolina as a junior, two years after winning an NCAA championship, and won NBA championships from 1991 through ’93 and 1996 through ’98.

Hakeem Olajuwon played in three Final Fours and came within two points of a championship in 1983. He grabbed NBA championships in 1994 and 1995.

There’s an asterisk to this list, because Moses Malone skipped college entirely and went to the pros straight from high school. However, on his 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers, he was surrounded by a top-notch group of players (Julius Erving, Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney, et al) that made them the best single-season team of the ‘80s.

Whatever team drafts Davis won’t have that type of talent and probably never will. For the team to go anywhere, Davis is going to have to take it there, and he won’t be able to draw on past performances in big games--because he hasn’t played in any.

Jordan often said that jump shot he made against Georgetown in the 1982 championship game helped launch his ascent to greatness. He refuses to even consider the alternate path if he had missed. The important thing is, he was in position to take it.

With a more experienced team and with Dan Gadzuric’s knees in better condition, UCLA would have been a preseason contender for the NCAA title had Davis come back.

“National championship, NBA,” Davis said. “Which one would you rather have?”

As long as he still had college eligibility, Davis had a chance for both. The NBA was always going to be there for him. He might have been a little spooked by his knee injury, but he also experienced firsthand how today’s medical advances can prevent such injuries from ruining careers.

UCLA put out a five-page information packet on Davis on Wednesday, and the best accolades it could come up with for the cover were 1998 first-team freshman All-American and Pacific 10 freshman of the year. In other words, a good, young player.

The fear here is that’s all he’ll ever be. A good player, but not a champion. By leaving early, he indicated he’s willing to accept that.

Davis didn’t owe anything to UCLA. You’d better believe a good chunk of those students in the stands chanting for Davis to stay in school during his final home game would drop their books and clean out their dorm rooms in a second if someone offered them millions of dollars to enter their chosen profession immediately.

Davis didn’t owe anything to UCLA Coach Steve Lavin, who has known all along that Davis wouldn’t stay longer than two years and recruited accordingly.

But Davis owed it to himself to maximize his opportunity to develop in college, and he cut himself short. Mission unaccomplished, no banners.

“One of my things along the way was winning a national championship,” Davis said. “It kind of hurts my heart that I’m going to have to leave that behind. But the NBA is there, and it’s calling.”

He should have let the voice mail get it.

J.A. Adande can be reached at his e-mail address: [email protected].