:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48977825/usa-today-7910330.0.jpg)
Teams around the league are scrambling to recreate the magic of the Golden State Warriors, but it looks like the Sixers are going a little further back in time than most. According to a report from Yahoo's Shams Charania, Baron Davis (!!!!!!) has signed with the Sixers D-League Affiliate, the Delaware 87ers.
Baron Davis, a former NBA All-Star, has signed with the Philadelphia 76ers' D-League affiliate (Delaware), sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 2, 2016
The seeds for a Davis return were planted as far back as 2014 when Davis filmed a mockumentary alluding to a potential comeback with the help of Steve Nash, who previously filmed an authentic comeback documentary of his own.
Things ramped up this past summer when the 36-year old claimed he'd still be able to give about 20 minutes per game. A history of knee injuries make a comeback pretty daunting for Davis, but kudos to him for taking the unglamorous road back.
Before you get visions of an aging, portly Davis in a Sixers uniform, not so fast -- the Sixers do not have his rights unless both parties later agree to an NBA deal of some sort. They could theoretically use their open 15th roster spot to bring in Davis, but that's another step for another day. If you want to see him in red, white and blue, you'll have to head down the road to Newark.
Regardless, Davis' comeback taking a turn through the Sixers organization is a huge win for my childhood. Point guards with a knack for scoring were in my wheelhouse thanks to Allen Iverson, and Davis' early years in Charlotte saw the UCLA product matched up against the Sixers in the playoffs on several occasions. Before the days of having access to League Pass, he was one of my favorite opponents to watch in the early-mid 2000's.
Everyone is quick to point out his poster over Andrei Kirilenko on the Warriors as the defining memory of Davis, but it's a disallowed shot I circle back to first.
In the summer of 2002, I got dragged to a Civil War reenactment with a close friend of mine, and after we got tired of searching for rock candy and looking at old muskets, we returned to his dad's conversion van to watch some NBA playoffs. We had no idea we were about to witness one of the single-worst calls in NBA history:
It may not bring him justice for that egregious call, but here's hoping Davis can rekindle a little of the old magic while beating back Father Time. Best of luck, B-Diddy. Maybe he and Elton Brand will finally get a chance to play together.