LA CROSSE, WI (WTKR)- Johnny Davis fueled a Wisconsin team that was one of the best teams in the country this season. The sophomore guard earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors and, while he hails from Wisconsin, his basketball roots are here in Hampton Roads.
Mark Davis was a basketball star for Great Bridge High School and Old Dominion, before playing in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks. Now he enjoys watching his sons, Johnny and his twin brother, Jordan, hit the floor for the Badgers. Mark says that the twins fell in love with basketball around third grade, but they discovered it themselves, as opposed to him leading them towards the sport.
"Once they started playing and they felt good about how they were playing, that was it," the elder Davis recalled of his sons. "It skyrocketed from there."
Basketball has become something over which father and sons bond. They can pick each other's brains, ask for advice and even find themselves playfully trash-talking at times.
"I tell them all the time, 'I was in the NBA, I played for the Milwaukee Bucks and until you get even remotely close to that, you can't tell me how good you are or convince me that you're better than me,'" Davis smiled. "I rag them about that all the time, so hopefully sometime in the future they get a chance to talk trash back to me."
Davis watches both of his sons play with plenty of pride. This season he got the chance to see Johnny take home that conference player of the year honor.
"His confidence just went through the roof," Mark noted. "Once you have confidence, there's no stopping you and that was it. He was just so confident in his abilities and what he could do on the basketball floor and it just transpired into him getting Big Ten Player of the Year."
Unfortunately for the Davis family, the Badgers were upset by Iowa State on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Mark told us that Johnny will announce his decision between the NBA and returning to Wisconsin on Thursday. To see the entire interview with Mark Davis, click on the above video.
