METAIRIE, La. — Anthony Davis sat in a half moon of sports reporters and TV cameras Thursday, the Hornets backdrop behind him and his Olympic medal draped around his neck.
And still he doesn’t believe he’s a professional basketball player, keying in instead on the fact that he has yet to play in an NBA game.
“Nah. I just feel like a guy who’s just playing basketball right now,” Davis said. “Until I play an NBA game, then I can consider myself an NBA player.”
Hornets brass unwrapped Davis for the first time since the Olympics at the Saints headquarters Thursday, a building the organization is slowly transitioning to after Tom Benson purchased the basketball franchise this spring.
Davis can say what he wants, but there’s little doubt that he’s no longer amongst the college ranks. He spent the summer playing with, learning from and watching Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant among other players while with the U.S. National team.
He played in the Olympics against the world’s best international players, a step up from Kentucky, where he helped guide the Wildcats to the 2011-12 national title in New Orleans.
His summer vacation helped him improve before ever setting foot in a regular season practice with Monty Williams and the Hornets. He’s not standing pat, however, on working on his game.
“I think my game developed more than what I expected just by playing the Olympics and being around them guys,” Davis said. “But there’s still a lot to learn and a lot more to do so I’ve got to continue working.”