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Davis says he will likely resume playing in the Development League or overseas. He would like to coach if he does not return to the NBA as a player, but he says his career has been fulfilling. "I would definitely be satisfied," he says of his career." I played 12 years. I got drafted when I was 17. [Note: He was 18.] I think I was one of the top three youngest guys ever playing in the NBA. I'm satisfied with it." Grantland

Free Agency, Ricky Davis 

Davis tugs at his left knee as he explains, and demonstrates how, in order to keep it straight, he needed to lift his leg with his hand. NBA doctors, Davis says, misdiagnosed the injury as tendinitis. He recently learned that the injury was actually a patellar tendon tear, for which he underwent surgery and rehabilitation. Now he says he's ready to resume his NBA career. In January, he got a shot with a workout for the Timberwolves. But Minnesota passed on bringing Davis back. "They signed [Mickael] Gelabale for the whole year," Davis says. "I played with him in France, so that really makes me sick. That makes me really sick. That really hurts. They signed him for the whole year." Grantland

Minnesota Timberwolves, Free Agency, Mickael Gelabale, Ricky Davis 

In case you're wondering if Ricky Davis had his facts straight when he told Grantland he had a tryout with the Wolves in January, he really did. 1500 ESPN

Minnesota Timberwolves, Ricky Davis 

The competition is ruthless. And Davis knows that the NBA isn't the same as when he left. "[I could] go out hard the night before, then come out the next day and give you 40," Davis says. "You know why? I came in with Anthony Mason, Derrick Coleman, Eddie Jones. [They would tell rookies] 'You put the bags up. You better have the condoms. You better meet us.' That's what I came into." Grantland

Ricky Davis, Anthony Mason, Eddie Jones, Derrick Coleman 

The roguish days of the NBA seem a distant memory, but Davis hasn't forgotten. "It was instilled in me," he says. "Anthony Mason coming in with 50 shots of tequila. This was before they brought the bottles. The waitress coming out with 50 shots and I'm 17, 18 years old. So now when I'm 25, 26, I go out and hang out, kick it. The league changed so fast and so drastically. It was hard to change sometimes. This routine, I'm not used to that." Grantland

Ricky Davis 

In an attempt to acquire that final rebound, Davis purposefully shot and missed at his own basket. (By rule, a player cannot be credited with a rebound for a miss on his own goal.) Then things got ugly. Old-school enforcement ensued when Utah's DeShawn Stevenson fouled Davis. Hard. Utah coach Jerry Sloan turned irate, telling reporters afterward, "I was glad that Shawn tried to knock him down. They can put me in jail or whatever they want for saying that, but that's the way it is." The sequence ignited a fierce debate about individual achievement and results in sports. The Cavaliers fined Davis $35,000. Figures around the league denounced him and his selfish style of play. Davis has the advantage of a decade's worth of perspective now. He says he's surprised the stunt has stuck with him, but he also concedes it was all his own doing. Grantland

Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Jerry Sloan, Ricky Davis, DeShawn Stevenson 

"I had thought I got the rebound," he says. "I was so in my selfishness that I wasn't thinking of the whole perception of what could happen. When you're so young, you don't think about what will happen later. And me coming from where I'm coming from, playing in the park all day … I'm going to get in trouble? Why would I get in trouble? We're up by 20. That's what I'm thinking in my head. We're up by 20. Why would I get in trouble? But there's more politics involved. There's more than being a little kid and playing in a grown man's world." Much less publicized is Bobby Sura's similar attempt the next season. Sura, then with the Atlanta Hawks, tried to claim his third consecutive triple-double by purposefully missing — albeit at his own basket — during the closing moments of a win over the Nets. NBA officials erased the rebound. "I'm disappointed that my attempt to turn my third triple-double caused so much controversy," he said in a later statement. "It was never my intention to make a mockery of our sport and to take any attention away from our huge win over the Nets. If anyone was offended by my actions, I sincerely apologize." Grantland

Ricky Davis, Bob Sura 

"One-two punch" is how Davis imagined himself playing with James. "Then Silas came in," he says. "Me and Silas had a past in Charlotte. I don't know why Coach Silas was mad, but I'm thinking it was all about LeBron and the transition of trying to make him the number one. I mean, I was ready to ride with him one-two 'cause I was doing my thing." "They were kind of messing with me because I didn't need no plays. I was on fire, but they wanted LeBron, so it kind of got weird. They started taking me out, started labeling me, saying I was talking crazy to LeBron. It got kind of weird." Grantland

Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Ricky Davis 

Alex Kennedy: I'm hearing that Ricky Davis wants to make a comeback and sign with an NBA team. Davis, 33, last played in 2009-10 with the L.A. Clippers. Twitter @AlexKennedyNBA

Free Agency, Ricky Davis 

Piratas de Quebradillas announced the signing of Ricky Davis. The player tried from December an NBA comeback via D-League where he has played 11 games with Maine Red Claws averaging 8.5ppg, 3.3rpg and 3.2apg. Sportando

Puerto Rico, Ricky Davis 

Scott Schroeder: Was just told Ricky Davis has been released by the Maine Red Claws. Averaged 8.5 points on 39% shooting in 11 D-League games. Twitter

D-League, Ricky Davis 

“I got offers from the D-League before (Ricky Davis or Greg Ostertag) ever thought about playing in the D-League,” Finley said. “My thing is, I want to play basketball, I would enjoy playing in the D-League, but at the same time I don’t want to take an opportunity away from a young guy to get exposure. I’m still thinking about it. If the right situation comes, where I could be something like a player-coach, maybe I would take that opportunity.” HoopsHype

Free Agency, D-League, Michael Finley, Greg Ostertag, Ricky Davis 

Marc Stein: Still in top shape at 36, Mike James to join Antoine Walker, Ricky Davis and Greg Ostertag (after FIVE years out) on D-League comeback trail Twitter

Antoine Walker, D-League, Mike James, Greg Ostertag, Ricky Davis 

Davis played for the Celtics from 2003 through 2006 before being traded to the Timberwolves as part of the Wally Szczerbiak deal. Five years and three NBA teams later, Davis would still like to return to Boston. “Oh yeah definitely. No hesitation at all,” he said. “Those guys over there, they’re class acts. Doc Rivers is easily probably one of the best coaches I’ve ever played for. He’s the one that kind of started the team thing with me, bringing me off the bench and teaching me different kinds of things in the game. That would be a great blessing for me to go back to Boston and get my Bucket Brigade going again (laughs).” CSNNE.com

Boston Celtics, D-League, Ricky Davis 

Davis recorded six points (3-8 FG), four assists, two rebounds, and two steals in his debut with the Red Claws on Thursday night against the Canton Charge. Even though his game is still similar to what it was the last time he played in the NBA, his injuries have forced him to make slight adjustments that he finds helpful on the court. “My game’s pretty much the same. Maybe about one or two inches off my vertical now (laughs) but it’s great,” he said. “Now that I’ve been injured I think it’s helped me put my game in an all-around situation -- not going to dunk on people, I have to make the open pass; not using my explosiveness and using my brain. Now that I’ve got my explosiveness back and my brain, I think it could be really, really good for me.” CSNNE.com

Boston Celtics, D-League, Ricky Davis 

Thursday night probably didn't go as planned for two of the more high-profile players in the NBA Development League as they embarked on the first step of their NBA comeback. Former NBA starters Ricky Davis and Greg Ostertag both played in their first career D-League games, but neither was able to make much of an impact. Ostertag became the oldest player in the D-League when he joined the Texas Legends earlier in the week and, in a move that wasn't at all surprising, the 38-year-old looked that way when he took the court for the D-League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks. The longtime center for the Utah Jazz scored just two points in 17 minutes of court time while fouling four times to almost offset the 11 rebounds he hauled in for the losing team. It's obvious that Ostertag plans to play his way in to shape over the next two weeks leading up to the make-or-break D-League Showcase, but as the picture at left shows, he isn't exactly in shape as of yet. His conditioning was most apparent when getting beat in the paint -- the fouls he picked up came as a result of this -- but there were numerous times when the Legends pushed the ball up court only to find themselves going 4-on-5 as Ostertag lumbered his way back on the offensive end. Ridiculous Upside

D-League, Greg Ostertag, Ricky Davis 

Emiliano Carchia: Former NBA player Ricky Davis joins the Maine Red Claws in D-League Twitter

D-League, Ricky Davis 

Ricky Davis averaged over 20 points per game for the Cleveland Cavaliers nine seasons ago. The 32-year-old swingman with 12 years of NBA experience will now attempt to get back to that point in his career, but his NBA comeback will begin with a stint in the D-League with the Maine Red Claws. Davis, who bounced around overseas after being cut by the Los Angeles Clippers midway through the 2009-10 NBA season, signed an NBA Development League contract last week and was claimed off of waivers by the Red Claws on Tuesday afternoon. The NBA veteran will join a roster that includes NBA training camp invites Xavier Silas, Durrell Summers, Paul Harris, Kenny Hayes and Mike Tisdale. Ridiculous Upside

D-League, Ricky Davis 

Former NBA starters Ricky Davis and Greg Ostertag have decided to make an NBA comeback through the NBA Development League, league sources told Ridiculous Upside on Thursday night. Both players have signed D-League contracts and will find out their new teams after clearing waivers on Tuesday afternoon. Ridiculous Upside

D-League, Greg Ostertag, Ricky Davis 

Big signing for Chorale Roanne who announced former NBA Ricky Davis. The American started the season in China with Jiangsu but was released in December after 9 games at 13.1ppg. Sportando

France, Ricky Davis