Thursday, 5/29/97 Head of the class Growing up in a polarized
world lent a down to earth maturity to the most promoted U.S. high
school recruit
By Zach Seal Daily Bruin Contributor For whatever reason, in
this day of conceited, contemptuous, coddled 17-year-old athletes,
UCLA’s athletic department seems to draw relatively (emphasis on
relatively) down-to-earth, mature athletes. From Troy Aikman, to
Cameron Dollar, to Ed and Charles O’Bannon, UCLA’s premier jocks
not only graduate at a higher rate than many other schools’
athletes, but they also entertain us with a mix of class and flair.
So the table is set for the nation’s most highly touted point-guard
recruit of 1997 – Baron Davis. But Davis is more than a roadblock
for other Pacific 10 teams who want to win the conference. He’s
also a soft-spoken, thoughtful person who grew up in a polarized
world. By day, Davis attended Crossroads High School, an affluent,
predominantly white private school with 500 students in Santa
Monica. By night, Davis was driven home, 20 miles away to South
Central Los Angeles. "I grew up and lived in the hood, but then I
went to Crossroads – I call it Disneyland," Davis said. "But
eventually I learned that the people at Crossroads were just the
same as I am." Darrel Roper, Davis’ basketball coach at Crossroads,
credits himself with Baron’s realization. "This school is basically
lawyers, doctors and entertainers," said Roper, who considers
himself an older brother figure to Davis. "It was tough for Baron,
especially in seventh and eighth grade, growing up where he came
from and seeing 16-year-old kids coming to school in cars worth
more than some people’s houses. So I had to help Baron deal with
this." Once Davis began to accept his "low status in the Crossroads
financial hierarchy," Davis says he began to appreciate the
opportunity his athletic talents had afforded him. "I was around a
lot of different people, different races, I never interacted with,"
Davis explained. "It taught me how to talk to all kinds of people."
Davis further honed his social skills while attending Crossroads
when he traveled all over the country playing in various basketball
tournaments. It was Davis’ grandparents who insisted that Davis
utilize his Jordan-esque ability by taking advantage of a
basketball scholarship at Crossroads, a school that pushes
academics. "My grandmother said if you hang around successful
people, you’ll be successful. If you hang around losers, you’ll be
a loser," Davis said. Crossroads also taught Davis how to balance
his education with his status as a star athlete, because if his
grades started to slip, he knew he would be pulled from the
basketball court. After school and on the weekends, Davis spends
his spare time with his grandparents, sister and niece. "I’m
especially tight with my grandmother and my sister," Davis said.
"We’re like best friends. We all sit and talk about life. But when
they try to talk and give me advice about basketball, they don’t
know what they’re talking about." But although his grandmother and
sister are not well-schooled in the X’s and O’s of basketball,
Davis is thankful for them in other ways. Davis will not talk about
his parents, but it’s generally assumed that although they are
alive, they took no part in his upbringing. Instead, his
grandparents and other family members provided support and
nurturing during Davis’ adolescence. When Davis is not around his
family, he is usually at school or on the basketball court. "Baron
is not one to be at parties and all that," Roper said. Instead,
says Roper, Baron hangs out with his family, girlfriend and players
on the basketball team, and helps an old coach run a youth
basketball league. By his own admission, Davis is not the
flamboyant, jewelry-flaunting jock one would expect of a
17-year-old basketball phenom that college coaches and girls drool
over. "Outside of basketball, I’m just a boring person," Davis
said. "I didn’t get caught up in the life (of a high school star
athlete). I just like listening to rap and R&B, staying at home
and hanging with my friends in my neighborhood who I identify with
more than the kids from Crossroads," he said. Both Roper and UCLA
assistant coach Jim Saia agree that the mellow and humble Davis
possesses a sense of humor. "Baron is funny, energetic and doesn’t
take himself too seriously even though he’s probably one of the
most highly publicized 17-year-old players in the country," Saia
said. "All the (UCLA basketball) players have enjoyed having him
around the office." After basketball Davis wants to be a basketball
coach or a sports agent, "So I can take the players’ money," joked
Davis. In the meantime, Davis wants to pursue a degree in business
management and play basketball at UCLA until he earns his degree.
But Saia warns against such optimism from Bruin fans: "I’d be
ecstatic if Baron stays even two years. After his first year, Baron
will probably be a projected early first round, even lottery NBA
pick." Whether it’s for one or four years, UCLA fans will be
packing Pauley Pavilion just to see Davis play. "Baron has amazing
leadership abilities. He is the one player in the country that
makes everyone else better just by stepping on the court," said
Saia. Has a Magic Johnson kind of ring to it. JUSTIN WARREN/Daily
Bruin Baron Davis averaged over 25 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists
a game at Crossroads High School, where he improved not only as a
player but as a person as well. PATRICK LAM/Daily Bruin Baron
Davis’s announcement of his intent to attend UCLA was broadcast
live during a Clippers NBA playoff pregame show.