River Lions add versatility to lineup
Forward Antonio Lee (A.J.) Davis able to play all five positions on the court
When it comes to versatility on the court, the latest tool in the Niagara River Lions’ quest to win a Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) championship is a Swiss Army Knife.
Antonio Lee (A.J.) Davis, a sixfoot-nine forward from Burford, Ga., who played NCAA Division 1 at Tennessee and Central Florida, comes to the St. Catharines-based River Lions with a reputation for being able to play all five positions on the floor, “offensively and defensively.”
“A.J. is easily one of the most versatile players in this league. He has an extremely high basketball IQ and takes pride in leading by example,” River Lions head of basketball operations and co-general manager Antwi Atuahene said in announcing the signing.
The 27-year-old is joining the CEBL, a spring-summer pro league, after averaging 15 points, five rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in the German Pro A League with the Nurnberg Falcons.
Davis, whose father Antonio Davis played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association with the Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks, has a twin sister, Kaela, who plays in the Women’s National Basketball Association with the Atlanta Dream.
A.J. Davis transferred to Central Florida after spending his freshman season at Tennessee. He averaged 10.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in three seasons at Central Florida.
He scored 1,030 points — 33 at Tennessee, 997 at Central Florida — over a four-season collegiate career.
Davis turned pro in 2018 averaging 8.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in the Kosovo Basketball Superleague with KB Prishtina.
Besides stints in the NBA G League with the Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings affiliates in Wilmington, Del., and Stockton, Calif., Davis has played pro basketball in Australia, Sweden, Greece, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
He can’t wait to hit the hardwood for the River Lions, a team hoping to build on an appearance in the CEBL final in 2021 by going all the way this year.
“Firstly, I’d like to say thank you to this club. I’m always appreciative of another opportunity to play the game I love,” Davis said. “I’m looking forward to getting started with the team and, most importantly, winning games.”
He joins Khalil Ahmad and E.J. Onu as American players Niagara has signed for a 20-game regular season in a league in which 60 per cent of roster spots must be filled by Canadians. Returnees from last year’s 10-4 team include Olu Ashaolu, Jaylen Babb-harrison, Jake Babic, Phil Scrubb and Daniel Waldin-mullings.
Niagara is scheduled to tip off league play May 25, in Saskatoon against the Rattlers. The first home game at Meridian Centre is June 3, versus the expansion Montreal Alliance.