How Kendric Davis learned to win against the odds

The Hungry Jack’s NBL26 Season was one to remember for Sydney Kings star Kendric Davis.

The United States point guard guided the Harbour City outfit to their sixth NBL title, while taking home the Championship Series MVP honours, in one of the all-time great deciders.

His second season in the League was built on resilience and his ability to rise to the occasion when it mattered most.

During the latest NBL Now episode, the 26-year-old explained to Pete Hooley that these characteristics were developed during his childhood.

“[It] comes from a lot of different things, honestly," Davis said on NBL Now.

“If you see my background and how I grew up [you’d understand]. I used to walk down the street and see people dead.

“My house was literally at the bottom of the bottom, and that fuelled me to get out.

“When I started playing this game at an early age, my young AAU coach, Coach Mingo, moulded me and used to tell me, ‘you’re the point guard and the only way you’re going to be able to take care of your family is to win at your position. Not if you get 30 [points] and 15 [assists], but if you win, you’re going to be seen'.

“I knew, in order for me to feed my mom and my family, I’ve got to win.”

After progressing through the junior ranks and playing for teams like Salvation Army, Davis carried this mentality into high school and college, where he went head-to-head with one current NBA All-Star.

“My whole life, I’ve just felt like winning,” he said.

“I went to a high school nobody knew about; they didn’t even care about sports. When I went there, people were like, ‘what are you doing?’

“My freshman year, I took them to the game before State, and my sophomore year, I beat De'Aaron Fox to go to State.

“That was his senior year, and he was going to Kentucky [University], while I was a sophomore, and nobody knew who I was.

“I’ve never feared anybody and have always known it’s my mum versus your mum or my family versus your family.

“I can’t respect you more than I respect my family because if I do, you’re going to feed your family over mine.

“That's how I view the game, and why I don’t let anyone outplay me.

“And now I’ve got a son too, so I have got to take care of him, I can’t let anybody get in the way of that. I’ve got to feed my family at all costs.”

Davis recently re-signed with the reigning champions on a two-year deal, joining Brian Goorjian’s roster that also includes Xavier Cooks, Matthew Dellavedova, Jaylin Galloway, Keli Leaupepe, Makuach Maluach, Tyler Robertson and Jason Spurgin for NBL27.