Davis signs with defending CEBL champions for fourth straight campaign
Published
The Niagara River Lions announced Wednesday the signing of 6-foot-9 American forward Antonio Junior “AJ” Davis ahead of the 2025 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. The Buford, Georgia native will return to Niagara after his most recent stint with the team in 2024, where he missed the majority of the season due to a hip injury.
“Entering his fourth season with our program, AJ has played a crucial role in our culture both on and off the floor,” said Head Coach and General Manager, Victor Raso. “His leadership during his injury last season played a massive role in our championship, and we are excited to see him as a leader back on the floor in 2025.”
In three seasons with the River Lions, Davis averaged 11 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 46 games. He last played internationally during the 2023-2024 season for the Stella Artois Leuven Bears of the BNXT League in Belgium, where he averaged 11.9 points and 4.4 rebounds, shooting 42% shooting from beyond the arc.
Davis started his college career at the University of Tennessee before transferring to the University of Central Florida (UCF) his sophomore year. In three seasons with the Knights, he averaged 10.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Davis became an accomplished NCAA athlete, scoring 1030 points over his time in college, finishing 8th all-time in rebounds at UCF (633), and 7th in free throws (319). He earned Second Team All-Conference honours from NBC Sports and was named to The American Weekly Honour Roll five times during his senior year.
Growing up, Davis was no stranger to the game of basketball; his father, Antonio Davis, was drafted 45th overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 1990 NBA draft. He played 13 seasons in the NBA with Indiana, Toronto, Chicago, and New York Knicks before becoming President of the NBA Players Association and an analyst for ESPN. AJ’s twin sister, Kaela Davis, plays for the Chicago Sky of the WNBA.
Davis began his professional career in 2018 with KB Prishtina of the Kosovo Basketball Superleague, marking the start of an impressive international journey. Since then, he has built a résumé that spans multiple continents and competitive leagues. He has played in Australia with the Brisbane Bullets (NBL Australia), returned stateside with the Delaware Blue Coats and Stockton Kings in the NBA G League, and joined the Philadelphia 76ers for NBA Summer League action. Davis has also been a key contributor in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Sweden, Greece, and Germany—earning a championship with Mauricio Baez Club and making impactful stops with teams such as Real Estelí Baloncesto, BC Lulea, Nurnberg Falcons BC, and AS Apollon Patras.
In 2022, Davis brought his veteran presence and versatility to the River Lions, joining for his first season in the CEBL. A member of the Niagara River Lions' 2024 CEBL championship-winning team, Davis appeared in four games before an injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year. Now fully recovered and entering his fourth season with the team, Davis is set to make his return to the court in 2025.
"I’m grateful to be back with the River Lions for year 4! It's been a long road recovering from injury, but with surgery behind me, I'm healthy and more motivated than ever to get back on the floor and help bring another championship to Niagara!” Said Davis, “Thank you to all the fans and my River Lions family for the love and support throughout my journey back to the court. Words can't express how much I appreciate you all!"
The Niagara River Lions are one of the original six teams of the CEBL and the league's reigning champions. Playing out of Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines, the River Lions represent the twelve municipalities of the Niagara Region while living up to the River Lions moniker of pride and strength of community. Visit www.riverlions.ca/tickets for more information.