TICKET TO PARIS: Davon Reed celebrates after he helped Puerto Rico defeat Lithuania 79-68 in the FIBA (International Basketball Association) Olympic Qualifying Tournament final in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 10 to secure the final spot in the men’s hoops tournament in the Paris 2024 Olympics. Former Princeton Day School standout Reed scored five points with three rebounds and two steals in the final, and averaged 4.5 points and 4.8 rebounds a game off the bench in the qualifying tournament as the Puerto Rico hoops squad earned its first appearance in the Olympics since 2004. (Photo provided by Davon Reed)

By Bill Alden

Davon Reed headed to the G-League Winter Showcase last December in Orlando, Fla., looking to play his way back into the NBA.

After stints with the Phoenix Suns, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Lakers from 2017-23, former Princeton Day School standout Reed was primed to find a home in the league.

“I have played in a new city or new country every year in my career,” said Reed, who was chosen by the Suns in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft after scoring 1,343 points in his college career at Miami. “I have become a journeyman. I am looking for some stability with an NBA team in the near future.”

Although Reed, 29, didn’t end up signing with an NBA team at the conclusion of the showcase, he took the first step on the hoops journey of a lifetime. Connecting with Carlos Arroyo, the general manager of the Puerto Rican national team, Reed, whose grandfather was born and raised in Puerto Rico, was offered the opportunity to join that country’s program.

Deciding to play for Puerto Rico, Reed made his debut for the squad this February and fit in immediately.

“It has been an amazing opportunity, first and foremost, I am thankful to Carlos Arroyo and the federation, the coaching staff, and players for allowing me to come in as newbie,” said Reed. “It has been a great experience. I am thankful that they welcomed me with open arms and I was able to come in to make an impact and be a leader and be the player I know I can be.”

Making an immediate impact, the 6’6, 220-pound guard Reed helped Puerto Rico defeat Lithuania 79-68 earlier this month in the FIBA (International Basketball Association) Olympic Qualifying Tournament final in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to secure the final men’s hoops spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

For Reed, punching his ticket to Paris was a dream come true.

“I just gave all of the glory, first and foremost, to God; I have had this vision since it all came to fruition as far as me even being on the national team,” said Reed, who scored five points with three rebounds and two steals in the final, and averaged 4.5 points and 4.8 rebounds a game off the bench in the qualifying tournament as Puerto Rico earned its first appearance in the Olympic men’s basketball tournament since 2004. “It was a very effortless transaction. Knowing that Puerto Rico had an opportunity to make the Olympics, I had already envisioned myself being at the Olympics in that very moment.”

In bouncing around the NBA, G-League, and playing overseas, Reed has learned to make the most out of every opportunity on the court.”

“You just have to be constantly locked in,” said Reed, who has made a total of 122 NBA appearances, averaging 3.1 points and 1.7 rebounds a game. “The big thing for somebody in my position who doesn’t have a lot of opportunity to go start is each and every time I get out there to make an impact in whatever way I can. Some days it will be scoring, most days it will be defending. It is energy, effort, and leadership. I try to make an impact each and every time I get on the court.”

Along the way, Reed gained some valuable lessons from two NBA legends, Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets and LeBron James of the Lakers.

“I learned so much from watching Jokic and his approach to each and every day,” said Reed, who played in 35 games for Denver in 2022-23 as the Nuggets went on to win the NBA title, earning him a championship ring in the process. “He came in everyday, worked out, did his lifting and the strengthening. The consistency helped him do what he did on the court, night in, night out. I learned from LeBron how he carries himself, how he focuses. While he was hurt, I got a chance to really pick his brain on the bench and talk to him throughout the game. I have got a lot of respect for him, I believe he has a lot of respect for me as well. I was definitely grateful for those opportunities.”

Inspired by those examples, Reed has raised his game in emerging as a key reserve for Puerto Rico.

“Right now I am in a sixth-man position. I love that I can come in and immediately change the course of the game or just reinforce what the starting unit has already done,” said Reed. “I like to just bring my energy first and foremost, play with that passion, play with that fire and be a vocal leader as well as leading by example on the floor. I just try to go out and be impactful and do whatever my team needs from me that day. I am always going to bring that defensive presence and energy. Some nights I will need to rebound, some nights I will need to score. Every game calls for a different version of me if you will.”

To prepare for the Qualifying Tournament, Reed headed to Phoenix from his home base in Miami to fine-tune things physically and mentally.

“I took several weeks to go out to Phoenix to lock in with my trainer prior to the Olympic Qualifier,” said Reed. “I isolated myself from what was comfortable, living in Miami. I could have just stayed here to prepare, not to say I would not have been prepared as well. It was a sacrifice. My now-fiancée came with me for a time. I just isolated myself from her for this very moment for this very goal. I was there for like seven weeks.”

Coming back to San Juan where Puerto Rico was hosting the final FIBA Qualifying Tournament, Reed was primed to put on a show in front of the home fans.

“I was very excited to be part of that and have the Federation believe in us enough to make the sacrifice of hosting a tournament in San Juan,” said Reed of the squad who topped Bahrain 99-56 in its opener and then defeated Italy 80-69 and Mexico 98-78 to make the final against Lithuania. “Having all of the fans there gave us a lot of encouragement and support and helped us rally to qualify for the Olympics. We rallied amongst ourselves when the odds had been against us. We knew that we had the talent, we knew that we had the personnel to go out there and make it happen. We just believed in ourselves. We got better every game. I feel like we are still getting better. We are not satisfied with just making the Olympics, we have bigger ambitions.”

Puerto Rico headed to Europe last weekend for some exhibition games before starting play in Group C, which features Serbia, South Sudan, and the U.S. Puerto Rico will open its Olympic campaign by playing South Sudan on July 28.

For Reed, playing in Group C will be a bit of a reunion tour as he will be facing such pro teammates as Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, and James on the U.S. team, Jokic on Serbia, and Wenyen Gabriel, Peter Joe, and Carlik Jones on South Sudan.

In order for Puerto Rico to excel in Paris, Reed believes that the squad needs to follow the blueprint that it utilized to win the Qualifying Tournament.

“We have to continue to play the style of game that we have been playing in the Olympics qualifier, being the team to set the tone each and every game,” said Reed. “I made sure that I expressed to my team that we have to continue to approach this as a one-game- at-a-time type of event. Every game matters, there is no dropping games, no looking forward to the next game. You can’t put the cart before the horse.”

Reed is hoping that applying that kind of focus will not only lead to success in the Olympics but will help him play his way back to the NBA.

“I know that playing on the biggest stage and proving myself on the biggest stage will definitely give me the momentum I need to get back to where I belong,” said Reed. “I have done my due diligence, I have been through the wringer. I have played for a number of different teams. I played on some really good teams, to my discredit I haven’t been able to get on the floor always. In God’s time, I know the stage that He has put before me. I am ready to go out there and have fun, most importantly, and let Him just play through me and be the best version of myself. That is what I have been preparing for really my whole life.”