‘He’s living his dream.’ Anthony Davis Sr.’s pride revealed in Pelicans video

A new video from the New Orleans Pelicans highlights a father’s pride and his son’s amazing journey from the southside of Chicago to Kentucky and on to the NBA.

Published Wednesday on Twitter, the “Outside the Paint” segment is narrated by the voice of the Pelicans Joel Meyers and includes interviews with former Kentucky star Anthony Davis and his father Anthony Davis Sr. as they tell of the sixth-year NBA center’s love for the game and the moment his neighborhood realized he was a big deal.

“Coach Cal (UK’s John Calipari) pulls up in a Cadillac in front of the house, and all the kids in the community (shouted) ‘Coach Cal, Coach Cal.’ ... It was kind of a secret. Nobody in the neighborhood knew who Anthony was or what was going on,” Davis Sr. said. “So, when everybody found out ‘oh, he’s going to Kentucky. He’s going to be the real deal. He’s going to the NBA. It was real fun for us and the family.”

Basketball was also an escape from the troubles inherent in his community.

“Basketball kept me in a safe place, no matter where I was,” Davis said.

He went on to be part of Calipari’s 2012 national championship team and the No. 1 overall pick in that year’s NBA Draft.

The video runs just over six minutes and offers a look at a father’s pride as much as a glimpse into Davis’ life.

“Every time I walk in the arena and see our name on the back of that jersey, it’s so surreal for us,” Davis Sr. said. “I get goosebumps every time I see it. It’s a big moment for me. I always get a little teary-eyed. He made it. He’s living his dream. That’s my proudest moment.”

This story was originally published November 22, 2017 at 4:34 PM with the headline "‘He’s living his dream.’ Anthony Davis Sr.’s pride revealed in Pelicans video."