Playing for the Charlotte Hornets marked the first time that Baron Davis had to live away from the comforts of his parents’ home. Davis was born in Los Angeles, played high school ball for Crossroads School in Santa Monica and then college hoops for UCLA.
It also showed him a simpler and less expensive life. With Los Angeles all about the bright lights of Hollywood and its bustling nightlife, Charlotte in the late 90s offered a traditional Southern feel to it.
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During his recent appearance on former Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman’s “Games with Names” podcast, “B-Diddy” recalled the modest lifestyle he lived during his first two-and-a-half years in the NBA.
“We had an apartment complex, and Derrick Coleman stayed there. Recasner, Eddie Jones, my rookie year. I would just go to P.F.Chang’s, Dean & Deluca’s, and I would go to the movies anytime we had a day off. So I go and watch like two or three movies,” said Davis. “I think we were like $1,800 a month for a two-bedroom townhome, with a two-car garage.”
The cost of living was cheaper compared to Los Angeles
Davis did not mention where the complex he and his teammates stayed in during their Charlotte tenure. However, a rent of $1,800 per month in Charlotte during Davis’ rookie year, 1999-2000, was quite expensive, as the average rent for a similar house in the same city during that period was less than $1,000.
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However, NBA players rent homes in upscale areas, which cost more than the average. Not only that, but BD was probably speaking from the point of view of someone who had lived his whole life in an expensive city like Los Angeles; that’s why he said it was cheap.
Also, Baron’s rookie-scale contract as the 3rd overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft was $12.6 million over 4 years. So if you’re paying an annual rent of $21,600 versus an average annual salary of $3.1 million, that’s pretty cheap.
A chance for BD to grow as a person
Aside from Charlotte’s modest cost of living, Davis also said in another interview that starting his career with the Hornets allowed him to mature as a person, because not only was he living on his own in Buzz City, but he was also struggling on the court during his rookie year.
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“I came off the bench my rookie year,” Baron Davis said on the Club 520 Podcast. “I was the third pick, I came off the bench…Back then, it was a thing where no matter where you were as a rookie, coaches didn’t play rookies.”
“For me, it was the opportunity to start being a man, but also it was humbling, because I was playing 19 minutes a game, no more than that. I’m just sitting there hot. You’re watching Iverson go off, you’re watching Jason Terry go off, andAndre Miller. I didn’t make the rookie-sophomore game…I missed that s***, and I just remember sitting at home like ‘I will never miss another one of these All-Star weekends.’ It helped me work on my game,” he added.
Not only did BD make the Rookies vs. Sophomores Game the following season, but he was also promoted to a starter for the Hornets and by Year 3, he earned his first All-Star Game appearance.
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That slower, simpler start in Charlotte ultimately gave Davis exactly what he needed: time to mature, sharpen his game and build the foundation for the career that followed.
Related: Baron Davis recalls giving Tracy McGrady a culture shock in South Central: “I’m done”
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.