When Mike Davis walks into his new work facility or sees emails from his new co-workers, he’s often in disbelief.
“It’s been a pretty rapid transition. It doesn’t even feel real to be honest,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Am I’m really going to be working in this office with these guys?’ It’s crazy.”
“This office” is the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, Calif., and “these guys” are the Los Angeles Lakers, who practice and train at the facility. Davis recently was named the Lakers’ player experience and development manager, and his main role is to help players adjust when joining or leaving the organization.
“I'm responsible for ensuring that that transition is not only smooth but of the Lakers gold standard,” he said. “So, helping guys with housing, helping spousal support, their network support and just ensuring that their transition is good.”
His work doesn’t stop there. He makes sure they have everything they need each day. He helps with player appearances, family needs regarding tickets or suites, and developing their interests off the court. He also assists players when they are traded, cut or retire.
It’s a long way from his days at Virginia Peninsula Community College, but he said his VPCC experience helped get him to that fancy building in Southern California.
After not making the Bethel High School basketball team as a freshman, sophomore and junior, his perseverance paid off in his senior year. Even then, he didn’t play much because he was behind many talented players, some of whom went on to solid college careers. But that didn’t affect his confidence.
“I felt like I was in the top percent versus the rest of the schools in the Peninsula District because (Bethel) had been known to be a basketball force for years,” he said.
After graduating from Bethel in 2011, Davis didn’t have any college plans. However, his mom worked in admissions at VPCC and an older brother had attended the College. Several friends also were there.
“I felt a bit of community going there,” he said. “And then when I walked in the gym to try out, Miss (Angela) Jackson was dead serious. I mean organizing, structuring, commanding the room, the smallest woman in there, but full of love, full of real passion for the university, the college and the organization, the program.”
It was exactly what he needed.
“She was getting on (me) and I loved it, because they could see the potential in me,” he said.
The late Ant Brown, an assistant coach on the team, also played an important role.
“Coach Ant gave me the perfect opportunity, seeing my skill sets and seeing my ability,” Davis said. “He put me in position to just prove myself. So that was the impetus. Our time was spent building confidence through adverse times and having glimmers of hope with people who instilled that in me.”
He spent one year at VPCC (fall 2011 through spring 2012) and averaged almost 20 points a game. He transferred to Patrick & Henry Community College but redshirted. However, the work he put in there caught the attention of one of the coaches at Towson, who said he could be a preferred walk-on for the Tigers.
“(VPCC) gave me the confidence that I needed to be able to think that I could walk on at Towson and then earn a scholarship,” he said.
VPCC Athletics Director Chris Moore, who is also the men’s basketball coach, believes Davis is the only former Gator to play Division I basketball.
Davis had no aspirations of playing beyond the college level.
“I was pretty good, but I wasn't pro good,” he said.
Instead, he decided his education, a bachelor’s degree in sport management from Towson and a master’s in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management from Hampton University, would be his ticket to the pro ranks.
“I wanted to contribute to the NBA in some way,” he said.
When his playing career was over, he had somewhat of an identity crisis and wanted to help others going through the same transition.
“At Towson, I was overly engulfed in my athletic identity,” he said. “I dealt with athletic identity crisis. I dealt with some depression, lost sense of belonging and direction once my career was over.”
That eventually set the precedent for why and what he does now. He sees his purpose as making sure other athletes don’t have a similar experience.
“So, I dedicated my life then to service of the platform and service to athletes, and that's what kind of started my career, and that's what's continuing my career,” he said.
Stops along the way after graduation include Eastern Connecticut State University, Texas Tech University, George Washington University and the NFL Players Association.
If you had told him when he was at VPCC that he would eventually end up working for the Lakers, he wouldn’t have believed you. But he enjoys his new role because it’s not about him.
“It's service-oriented. It’s not like self-serving. It's actually serving, and it's selfless and thankless work,” he said.
It’s work that makes him look forward to every day on the job.
“When you get to that facility, it's a basketball player and fan’s dream,” he said.