Wizards Guard Johnny Davis Reveals What He’s Been Doing This Offseason

The NBA offseason is much like school summer vacation in that it is long and can be filled in many different ways. Some players spend this time traveling the world. Some use it to catch up on their gaming (you never know when an NBA player is hanging out in your Call of Duty server). And some may occupy that space with a little international competition.

But for the Washington Wizards’ soon-to-be sophomore guard Johnny Davis, he’s made sure that he incorporated some philanthropy in his 2023 Offseason schedule. And most recently, his charitable pursuits have led him to team up with a social worker based in Washington D.C. – to ensure that a handful of children are able to have the tools they need to succeed when their offseason ends and they go back to school.

On Saturday, September 9th, at a Target in Oxon Hill, Massachusetts, Davis gifted 15 families of single moms with backpacks containing Adidas gear and gift cards to use at the Target to get whatever they need for the school year.

“I figured I needed to do something in the community,” Davis said in an interview with Forbes.com. “So, we contacted a social worker, and she put me in touch with a couple of families in need. We hosted those families at a Target in Oxon Hill, Massachusetts. There, we gave them some Adidas gear, some Wizards gear, and then some Target gift cards for them to buy back-to-school clothes and supplies.”

Davis continued, “I thought it went really well. Obviously, kids at that age are pretty shy. Most of them are in middle school. But I tried my best to make them feel comfortable. I walked around the store with them and helped them pick out some outfits.”

“I was giving my opinion on what looked cool on them and what didn’t,” he joked. “Overall, it was really fun. It reminded me of when I was younger and would do back-to-school shopping with my family.”

The reason Davis chose back-to-school shopping as his latest magnanimous endeavor is his daughter, Sky (who, by the way, turns one year old on September 22nd, so be sure to wish her a happy birthday!). As a relatively new father, Davis spends a lot of time thinking about his duties to his daughter and how one day soon he’ll be taking her back to school shopping himself.

“I’m a parent now,” Davis explained. “So, I know how stressful being a parent can be at times, and I can only imagine how much harder it is as a single parent. I just figured they could use the help, and I’m glad to provide it for them. It makes me feel good because I know eventually I’m going to be doing stuff like that with my daughter.”

Davis may only be entering his second season in the NBA, but he’s already established that giving back to others is important to him and his family. In fact, he and his brother (Jordan Davis) hosted their second annual basketball camp in their hometown in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

“[The camp] is three days long, and it takes place at the end of July. We have a lot of kids show up – about 200 overall. We have them come in, we teach them some stuff we know, and work in the gym with them and advise them the best we can.”

Davis added, “That also feels really good because I remember when I was their age, I looked up to a lot of the guys who went to high school from where I’m from. And whenever they would come into the gym and give me any sort of advice, I’d always appreciate that. So, it feels good to do the same for these kids. And if they do have aspirations of playing at the NBA level, it is always good to give them some tips so they can start pursuing their dreams at a young age.”

(Sidebar: After both of these camps, the Davis brothers made it a point to visit and spend time with pediatric patients in their hometown.)

As you can tell, Davis is no stranger to charity. But he thinks it’s especially important that he does more work in the D.C. area to demonstrate his dedication to the team and his new community – one he is committed to for the long haul.

“This is the team that drafted me, and I hope to stay with them as long as I can,” Davis told Forbes. “I was in Wisconsin for a long time, but I’m starting a new life out here. And I’d like to be here as long as I possibly can.”

The Wizards are set to begin a new chapter in 2023-24. This offseason has seen them part ways with key contributors like Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis, which leaves the door open for guys like Davis, Deni Avdija, Corey Kispert, Bilal Coulibaly, and the newly acquired Jordan Poole to usher in a new era of Wizards’ basketball. Davis is ready to embrace this next phase. And don’t you worry, he hasn’t let his charity work take away from his time in the gym.

“I’ve been in the gym a lot. I’m watching a lot of film from last year. I’m working with trainers to add some more muscle to my frame in order to improve my performance and skill,” Davis said. “I’m really excited for this new chapter. I think it gives a lot of us young guys an opportunity to show what we can do on the basketball court, and I’m ready to be a part of it.”

Also, Davis isn’t ready to write this season off as a rebuild. He and his teammates intend to win as many games as possible next year, and he plans on being a primary driver of their success.

“As a team, our goal is to win as many games as possible, make the playoffs, and see what happens from there,” Davis stated.

“As for myself, I want to be a key player on the roster this year. Show up when my name is called, and make big plays in big moments.”

Davis and the Wizards begin their regular season on October 25th when they visit the Indiana Pacers.