In December 2022, Anthony Davis hurt his right foot and went home to recover. His five-year-old daughter found him on the floor of his closet, gave him a quick hug, left the room, and came back with a piece of paper she had drawn a rainbow on. Davis recounted that moment to ESPN in March 2023. The girl with the drawing was Nala Davis, who is eight years old as of June 2026.
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Who Is Nala Davis?
Nala Davis is the eldest daughter of NBA player Anthony Davis and his wife, Marlen Polanco Davis. She was born on November 1, 2017, in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has followed her father through four NBA cities in her eight years. As of 2026, she lives in the Washington DC area after her father’s trade to the Washington Wizards in February of that year.
Nala Davis: Fast Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Nala Davis |
| Date of Birth | November 1, 2017 |
| Age | 8 years old |
| Birthplace | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Father | Anthony Davis |
| Mother | Marlen Polanco Davis |
| Siblings | Two younger brothers |
| Current Location | Washington DC area |
Who Are Nala Davis’s Parents?
Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis was born on March 11, 1993, in Chicago. He is a 10-time NBA All-Star and the 2020 champion with the Los Angeles Lakers. As of June 2026, he plays for the Washington Wizards, though a left hand ligament injury sustained on January 8, 2026, has kept him out since arriving at the team.
Marlen Polanco Davis
Marlen Polanco Davis is Nala’s mother and Anthony’s wife. She is of Dominican descent and grew up in New Orleans, where she and Davis met around 2016 or 2017. They kept the relationship private for years and made their first public appearance together at the Vanity Fair Oscars Afterparty in February 2020, close to three years after Nala was born.
They married in September 2021 at The Beverly Hills Hotel. Adele, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Rich Paul, and Davis’s former Kentucky college coach John Calipari were among the more than 200 guests. At the reception, Davis took the microphone and sang Dru Hill’s Never Make a Promise to his wife. Marlen keeps no public social media presence and has given no interviews.
Does Nala Davis Have Siblings?
Nala has two younger brothers. The first was born before Anthony and Marlen’s September 2021 wedding. The second arrived in 2022. Davis confirmed it in a Spectrum News 1 interview that September:
“A girl and two boys now, so I got a team. I’m outnumbered now, we’re outnumbered now. Kids are a blessing, so I’m happy to have three of them.”
Neither boy’s name has been publicly released. The only detail the family has offered is in Marlen’s Instagram bio, which lists three sets of initials: NAD, JAD, and KAD.
Nala Davis and Kobe Bryant
In the summer of 2018, when Nala was around seven months old, Davis was working out at a gym in Los Angeles when Kobe Bryant arrived. Bryant picked her up. Davis recalled the moment in a video interview:
“She never really wants anybody, but she just had so much joy, and she was so happy smiling, laughing with him. He was able to make her smile, make her laugh.”
After Bryant and his daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, Nala would see photographs of Bryant around the house and ask questions about him. Davis explained what had happened. According to Davis, she started calling Bryant her uncle and kept that name for every photograph she came across.
The Rainbow Drawing
In December 2022, Davis suffered a stress injury to his right foot during a game against the Denver Nuggets and spent several weeks out of the lineup. During his recovery, his five-year-old daughter found him sitting on the floor of his closet. She gave him a quick hug, left, and came back with a piece of paper she had drawn a rainbow on.
Davis told the story to ESPN in March 2023. His words: “At the end of every storm there’s a f—ing rainbow.”
Nala Davis in Public
Anthony Davis rarely brings his children to public events. Nala has been an exception a handful of times over the years.
At the Lakers’ championship ring ceremony on December 23, 2020, broadcast on NBA on TNT, Marlen appeared with three-year-old Nala and said to Davis on camera: “Nala and I are extremely happy and proud to present you tonight with your first ring. We are so proud of you.” In May 2021, Nala sat on her father’s lap during a post-game press conference. Two months later, in July 2021, Davis brought her to the Los Angeles premiere of Space Jam: A New Legacy at Regal LA Live. He had voiced a character in the film. Extra!’s Rachel Lindsay was interviewing Davis on the purple carpet when Nala, holding a stuffed Bugs Bunny, delivered a Bugs Bunny impression mid-conversation: “Eh, what’s up, doc.” Davis posted the photograph on Instagram captioned “What’s up, Doc.”
In June 2023, Davis took her courtside to an L.A. Sparks game at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles, where the two shared a box of popcorn. The month after, Davis passed on the Lakers’ summer league in Las Vegas to take her to the WNBA All-Star Game on July 15, 2023, at the Michelob Ultra Arena. Team Stewart won 143-127. Jewell Lloyd won MVP. Davis and Nala were in the arena for Brittney Griner’s first All-Star appearance since her 2022 release from Russian detention.
On November 1, 2024, Nala turned seven. Marlen posted an Instagram story: a purple gown with ruffles, balloons, and a large number seven in the background. She wrote “My love.” Davis re-shared it with three heart emojis.
Where Is Nala Davis Now in 2026?
As of June 2026, Nala is eight years old and living in the Washington DC area. Davis was traded to the Wizards on February 5, 2026, as part of a three-team deal. He has not played a game for the team since arriving, still sidelined by the hand injury from January 8, 2026. He confirmed in April 2026 that he plans to stay with Washington for the 2026-27 season.
She is in elementary school, though her parents have not said where.
Davis addressed his kids and basketball in a 2025 ESPN interview: “My kids, one minute they love basketball, the next day they don’t want anything to do with basketball. I’m trying not to pressure them too much when they don’t love the game but as they get older, I’m definitely going to force it on them, for sure.”
Nala Davis is eight years old, and Washington DC is her fourth city before her ninth birthday.
