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All About Team USA's Anthony Davis' Family with Wife Marlen: "I Got a Team"
The NBA superstar, who is on the men's Olympic basketball team, describes himself as a "homebody" off the court.
Anthony Davis and wife, Marlen Polanco Davis, know a little something when it comes to love. When not tearing up the court with the Los Angeles Lakers or preparing for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Davis and his wife are inseparable, raising their three children together at their home in Bel Air, Los Angeles.
The legendary NBA power forward has come a long way since his humble beginnings growing up in Chicago’s South Side and has his priorities straight when it comes to the important things. AD rarely opens up about his family, but when he does, his words are just as impactful as his famous monster dunks.
"The greatest luxury in life is family. I think no matter what you go through, your family is always going to be there," he said in a 2019 Haute Living interview. "You can get into it with them — argue with, complain, go through a low point in your life, have something great or something bad going on — they're always going to be there."
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For this nine-time NBA All-Star, the work-life balance challenges must be real. After all, he is the first player in history to win the Grand Slam of Basketball: an NCAA title, Olympic Gold (for the 2012 games), and the NBA ring. With the 2024 Summer Games around the corner, NBC Insider looks at what makes this legend tick off the court — the short answer: His family.
Anthony Davis’s Career with the Lakers
Davis was initially drafted by the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans), but in 2019, he headlined a famous blockbuster trade that brought him to the iconic L.A. team. In exchange for AD, the Lakers traded Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and three first-round draft picks. Already a six-time All-Star at this point, the move instantly paid off for the Lakers. AD played a key role — along with Lebron James — in clinching the 2020 NBA championship, the 17th championship in the franchise’s history, tying them with Boston's Celtics for most in league history.
That same year, he signed a five-year contract to stay with the team. But for the next two seasons, he experienced several injuries that restricted his playing time; he was sidelined for 30 games in the 2020-2021 season alone. But by November 2022, the 6’10” “big man” had rebounded, helping the Lakers break a 5-game losing streak. From there, it seems he never looked back, breaking record after record. In 2023, he added the NBA Cup to his list of achievements, winning the league's inaugural in-season tournament.
His Relationship with Marlen
The wedding of Anthony and Marlen in 2021 was a star-studded affair, with family and friends flying in from around the globe to celebrate at The Beverly Hills Hotel. LeBron James, singer Adele, Russell Westbrook of the L.A. Clippers, and sports agent Rich Paul all witnessed the nuptials, according to People. In a sweet video clip of their first dance on X, Davis grabbed the mic to serenade his new bride with the song “Never Make a Promise” by Dru Hill.
However, the two go back much farther than three years. Their first daughter, Nala, was born in 2017. But the lovebirds only went public with their romance when they glammed it up on the red carpet at the Vanity Fair Oscars Afterparty in 2020.
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Overall, the couple tends to avoid the spotlight, and details of their courtship are kept private. All that's known of Marlen is that her parents hail from the Dominican Republic, reported Dominican news outlets, and she grew up in New Orleans, where Davis made his NBA debut.
Anthony and Marlen’s Children
The NBA star and his wife have three kids together: Nala, 6, and two boys whose names have not been shared publicly.
In a June 2021 interview, Davis described himself as a “homebody” who liked to relax with his daughter and was excited about his “son on the way.” Then, in 2022, they welcomed another baby boy, and he beamed with pride when talking about his growing family during an interview with Spectrum News. Asked what his favorite part of the summer was, Davis answered, "Adding another to the family."
He continued, "A girl and two boys now, so I got a team… amazing, kids are a blessing. I’m happy to have three of them,” he said with a big grin, adding that Nala “runs the show.”
It seems like his kids are taking their father’s fame in stride. In June 2023, Nala accompanied her dad to an L.A. Sparks vs. Chicago Sky game at the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles, where they happily shared a box of popcorn. And this past February, his adorable young son sat on his lap at a press conference during the All-Star weekend in Indianapolis. When a reporter asked what was the best thing about being at the event, Davis responded like a true champ: “The best thing? My kids being here.”
