The key to Mike Davis’ brilliance: He never fit in
When Mike Davis’s second book, “The Mind Is a Muscle,” came out in 2003, few people knew him. The son of a basketball and sports agent, Davis was the son of another sports agent, Don Davis. And, as a result, there was a tendency to view Davis as one of his parents’ offspring.
As an executive who deals with athletes, Davis was known for his “one-on-one” approach, his ability to get to the emotional depth of his clients. Davis’ approach made him an unusual fit for the NFL. He worked closely with owner Jerry Jones, who was a devoted father and friend.
But when Davis released “The Mind Is a Body,” the book sold well even though it was not well received by anyone he knew. He didn’t understand why the book failed to connect with readers.
In fact, Davis realized he lacked the knowledge it took to have an impact as a writer, and it had to do with his background. He had spent most of his life feeling “a little bit out of place,” he said.
Davis is now 28 years old, and three years into his NBA career. When his third book came out in 2010, however, Davis was not surprised by the lack of positive critical responses. He knew that no matter how well-written his previous books had been, his future would not be determined by sales.
“The books were not for me to make money off, they were for me to pass on,” he said. “If it wasn’t a bestseller, I wouldn’t be doing it.”
Now, Davis is better than at any point in his career as a writer. Not only has he released three books, he has written a feature for the website “The Players’ Tribune,” and his latest book, “A Mind is a Muscle, 2,” was accepted for publication and is expected to come out this month.
Davis has had an interesting past, and he has been a part of history in other ways.
After playing for the University of Tennessee, Davis played in the NBA for two years before he decided he wanted to focus on coaching. He returned to the NBA as an assistant under former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy.
In 2004 he was hired as head coach at the University of Kentucky.
He has been to four Final Fours, winning two national championships.