Jim Davis
Former NBA Forward | Former NBA Player-Coach | Former Detroit Pistons Assistant Coach
Jim Davis was born on December 18, 1941, in Muncie, Indiana, U.S. As a forward and center, he attended the University of Colorado Boulder and played for the Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team under head coach Sox Walseth. In 1962 & 1963 the Buffaloes were Big 8 Champions & made a NCAA Tournament appearance. In 3 seasons, he averaged 14 points per game as a center.
Davis was selected with the 27th overall pick in the 4th round of the 1964 NBA Draft. He played 11 total seasons, 4 with the Sunbury Mercuries and 7 seasons with the NBA, playing for the St. Louis / Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, and Detroit Pistons. Davis averaged 6 points and 5 rebounds in his 7 seasons playing for the NBA.
In 2014, Davis was inducted into the Colorado University Athletics Hall of Fame.
Coach Davis passed away on December 27, 2018, at the age of 77.
Coaching Career
While playing for the Detroit Pistons, Davis became a player-coach and assistant coach under Ray Scott for 2 seasons. In his first season as a player-coach, he averaged 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist per game. The following season, Davis retired as a player and spent one more season as an assistant coach under Scott and Herb Brown in 1976 when Scott was fired mid-season. He was not retained after the season.
Notable Players Coached
- Bob Lainer
- 8× NBA All-Star (1972–1975, 1977–1979, 1982)
- 1974 NBA All-Star Game MVP
- 1971 NBA All-Rookie First Team
- No. 16 retired by Detroit Pistons
- No. 16 retired by Milwaukee Bucks
- Dave Bing
- 7× NBA All-Star (1968–1969, 1971, 1973–1976)
- 1976 NBA All-Star Game MVP
- 2× All-NBA First Team (1968, 1971)
- 1967 NBA Rookie of the Year
- 1967 NBA All-Rookie Team
- 1958 NBA scoring champion
- 50th & 75th NBA anniversary team selection
- No. 21 retired by Detroit Pistons
- Archie Clark (2× NBA All-Star (1968, 1972)
- Curtis Rowe (1976 NBA All-Star)
- Roger Brown (1976 ABA All-Star)
- Chris Ford (2× NBA champion (1984, 1986) as an assistant coach)