As Glen Davis sits in Louie’s Cafe for an interview, his phone rings. A friend calls to tell him that he locked Davis’ keys in Davis’ SUV with the engine running. Davis grimaces thinking about the cost of fuel. He calmly calls his dad, and after about 40 minutes, Davis’ father Donald L. Robertson brings a second key.
Davis said one of the reasons he came to LSU was because he already had a foundation in Baton Rouge. As Davis’ family is his support system, he has become the backbone of the basketball team.
“Glen is a kid who will do whatever it takes to make himself better,” Robertson said. “His goal is to become an NBA player and a star.”
After sophomore forward Brandon Bass called LSU basketball coach John Brady to tell him he was entering the NBA draft, Brady said the first person he called was Davis.
“I wanted to tell him, ‘Since Brandon was leaving, your role has expanded and now much is expected of you in terms of scoring, rebounding and leadership,’” Brady said. “Glen has embraced that role, and really has used it as motivation to make him better throughout the course of the spring and the summer.”
Brady said he sat down with Davis in April prior to Bass’ departure, and Davis expressed the goals he wanted to accomplish in the offseason.
Davis decided to change his eating habits, lose some of his 335-pound frame, build stamina, and make the final roster of the USA Basketball U21 World Championship Team, the team for players under 21 years old.
“When it comes down to it, the only person who can discipline you is yourself, particularly in something like that,” Brady said of Davis reducing his weight. “He showed the maturity and the toughness and whatever it takes to do that. He really did it and accepted that challenge to himself and accomplished it this summer, and I’m really proud him for that.”
Davis is down to 308 pounds and said he had to be more thoughtful about his diet and train himself to eat right.
“I had to think about what I was eating, what I was putting in my body, how I was eating and what I was doing,” Davis said.
He was also one of 12 players to earn a roster spot to compete in the International Basketball Association U21 World Championship.
“It’s a privilege to have him make the USA Olympic team and represent the United States, which I did as a Vietnam veteran,” Robertson said. “I’m so proud to have a son like that.”
The team finished fifth with Davis playing in seven of the eight games with one start.
In a lineup that included Villanova University guard Allan Ray, University of Connecticut forward Rudy Gay and Duke University guard J.J. Redick, Davis averaged 3.7 points, 4 rebounds and 12.3 minutes per game—the fewest of the 12 USA players in the two latter categories. It was far short of his 2004-2005 season with the Tigers, where he averaged 29.2 minutes, 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds.
“I just accepted it as my role,” Davis said. “It’s very important as a team to leave your ego at the door and accept your role and be happy with it.”
Brady said Davis’ involvement with the U21 team also will enhance his leadership skills.
“That’s one of the reasons the coaches told me they picked him for the team,” Brady said. “Not only was he good enough from a talent standpoint and player standpoint, another reason they picked him for the team is because he understood team dynamics. He leaves his ego at the door, and he wanted to do whatever he could to help the team win.”
Davis said it was a great opportunity despite not starting for the first time in his career.
“I feel it changed me a lot,” Davis said of the overall experience. “It made me into more of a humble person. When I was out there playing, I wasn’t the star. You had a lot of stars and great players on the team. I believe you have to follow before you can lead. You should be able to get the whole aspect of sitting on the bench, which makes you a better person overall because you can understand where players are coming from.”
Contact Clinton Duckworth at [email protected]