Davis attended Davenport North High School in Davenport, Iowa. He was a four-year starter and the Davenport North team made the state tournament his junior and senior years but did not reach the championship. His father is Tyree Davis and Mother is Linda Davis, he has a younger brother named Edward. Davis played one season at the University of Iowa before being selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the 1998 NBA Draft, as the 21st pick overall.
Professional career
NBA career
Charlotte Hornets
Davis played two seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, and became known for his high energy play and exciting poster dunks. Although he only played limited minutes, mostly off the bench, his high-flying play got him an invitation to the 2000 Slam Dunk competition, where he scored an 88 out of a possible 100 points, losing to champion Vince Carter. He was traded to the Miami Heat in a massive nine-player trade on August 1, 2000.
Miami Heat
Davis injured his ankle and knee with the Heat and only played a total of seven games for them, and was eventually sent to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team deal involving the Toronto Raptors a year later on October 26, 2001.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Davis was re-signed to a six-year deal by the Cavaliers on August 21, 2002, but his time in Cleveland was marked by disputes with coach Paul Silas. He additionally received attention for stat padding in a home game against the Utah Jazz on March 16, 2003. With Cleveland leading 120–95 and less than a minute remaining, Davis was one rebound short of his first career triple double, and he deliberately tossed an inbound pass off his own rim and caught it in attempt to receive credit for a rebound, but shots taken at one's own basket do not count as official field goal attempts. Jazz guard DeShawn Stevenson shoved Davis in response as Davis proceeded upcourt with the ball. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said to reporters afterward, "I would have fouled him too. I would have knocked him on his ass." The Cavaliers initially said they would not punish Davis, saying the embarrassment was enough. However, in the face of a national outcry, the Cavaliers fined him an undisclosed amount for unsportsmanlike conduct, and the play led to Davis being nicknamed "Wrong Rim Ricky" in Cleveland.
On December 15, 2003, Davis was traded along with Chris Mihm, Michael Stewart, and a second round draft pick to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Tony Battie, Eric Williams, and Kedrick Brown. With the Celtics, the Davis played the position of shooting guard, as well as small forward on occasion. Boston was criticized for acquiring him via trade due to Davis's reputation of selfishness, but he became a more consistent player and a fan-favorite in the city.
On October 24, 2007, Davis was again traded to the Miami Heat along with teammate Mark Blount in exchange for the Heat's Antoine Walker, Michael Doleac, Wayne Simien and a first-round draft pick. Davis was reunited with Pat Riley, and Riley admitted he made a mistake of trading Davis in the first place; "I made the mistake of trading him. He's a very talented kid. He was not a problem here. We just needed to move and get bigger players at that time. Over the last six years he has been very efficient."
On July 28, 2008, Davis signed a multi-year contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. He was waived by the Clippers on February 16, 2010 to make room for newly acquired guard Steve Blake and forward Travis Outlaw. He appeared in 36 games for the Clippers in the 2009/10 season.
International career
On March 1, 2010, Davis signed a contract with the Turkish team Türk Telekom. It would be his first time playing outside the United States. He said about signing with Telekom: "It will be my first European experience. I never watched matches. I just entered myself, and Turk Telekom B.K. signed me." In October 2010, Davis signed a contract with the Jiangsu Dragons in China. In January 2011, Davis signed a contract with Chorale Roanne Basket in France. In 2012, Davis signed with the Piratas de Quebradillas of Puerto Rico.
