Last Updated on July 25, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Nothing came easily against Dale Davis around the basket, where every rebound, post touch, and loose ball turned into a physical contest that opponents had to earn. Long before spacing became the norm, he carved out his value through bruising interior defense, hard screens, relentless work on the glass, and the willingness to absorb contact possession after possession without needing the offense to run through him.

Here’s detailed information about Dale Davis:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Elliott Lydell “Dale” Davis
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born March 25, 1969
  • Hometown: Toccoa, Georgia
  • Height: 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 meters)
  • Weight: 252 lbs (114 kg)
  • Wingspan: 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 meters)
  • Shoe Size: Size 18 (US)
  • Jersey Numbers: Wore #32, #34, and #4 during his career
  • Position: Power Forward / Center
  • High School: Stephens County High School (Toccoa, Georgia)
  • College: Clemson University (1987–1991)
    • Key achievement: Holds Clemson’s all-time records for rebounds and blocked shots
  • NBA Draft
    • Draft Year: 1991
    • Draft Position: 13th overall pick by the Indiana Pacers
  • Teams Played For
    1. Indiana Pacers (1991–2000)
    2. Portland Trail Blazers (2000–2004)
    3. Golden State Warriors (2004–2005)
    4. Indiana Pacers (2005, second stint)
    5. Detroit Pistons (2005–2007)
  • Championship Rings
    • NBA Championships: None
    • Reached the NBA Finals with the Indiana Pacers in 2000
  • Kids: Has at least one son, Trayce Jackson-Davis, who is also a professional basketball player
  • Siblings: Not widely documented

Player Archetype / Play Style

Dale Davis’s player archetype was that of an old-school enforcer power forward, a rugged interior presence whose value came from rebounding, physical defense, screen-setting, and doing the hard, dirty-work possessions that gave tougher teams their edge. Defensively, he operated as a paint protector by committee rather than a pure shot-blocking anchor, using strength, leverage, timing, and force to battle bigs, finish possessions on the glass, and make life uncomfortable around the rim. Offensively, his role was simple and functional: score on putbacks, dump-offs, short interior finishes, and second-chance opportunities without needing touches designed for him. Physically, Davis was built for contact, with a strong frame, bruising temperament, and the kind of toughness that let him absorb punishment and deliver it back, so his overall style was less about finesse and more about control, rebounding muscle, and relentless interior resistance. (Bleacher Report)

Scouting Report

Dale Davis made life easier for everyone around him because he understood exactly what kind of player he was and rarely drifted outside those boundaries. The first thing you notice is how hard he worked before the ball even arrived. He carved out deep post position, set bruising screens that genuinely separated defenders from the ball-handler and attacked the offensive glass with a level of persistence that wore frontcourts down over the course of a game. He wasn’t looking to create offence through elaborate footwork or face-up moves. His points came from duck-ins, put-backs, short finishes after pick-and-rolls and quick jump hooks taken before help defenders could collapse. That’s where his offensive value lived. Defensively, he was even more influential. He relished physical matchups, absorbed contact without giving ground and consistently met drivers early enough to force awkward floaters instead of clean layups. What stands out is how disciplined he was as a help defender. Rather than chasing blocks, he’d rotate across, stay vertical and trust positioning over highlight plays, making opponents earn everything around the rim. The trade-off came whenever offences tried to stretch the floor. Big men capable of dragging him away from the paint or forcing repeated switches onto dynamic guards could expose limitations in lateral mobility, and he wasn’t someone you wanted defending in space for long stretches. Even so, he compensated by communicating early and recognising actions before they fully unfolded. I’ve always thought his screen setting was one of the more underrated parts of his game because he created genuine driving lanes instead of simply making symbolic contact, giving guards the extra step they needed to attack downhill. Put him next to creative perimeter players and his impact multiplied without demanding touches. Stylistically, he shared a lot with Antonio Davis through his physical interior defence, rebounding and willingness to embrace the dirty work, while there were shades of Udonis Haslem in the way he anchored possessions with toughness, screening and interior reliability rather than offensive creativity.

Sources:

Bleacher Report — Ranking the Top 25 Players in Indiana Pacers NBA History
Bleacher Report — Comparing This Year’s Indiana Pacers to Their 1999-2000 Title Contender Team
Bleacher Report — NBA Draft 2011: 10 Players the Indiana Pacers Should Avoid with No. 15 Pick
Bleacher Report — Ranking the Best 5 Draft Picks in Indiana Pacers NBA History
Bleacher Report — 50 Biggest Badasses in NBA History