GOLDEN State Warriors rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis has overcome incredible odds to become an NBA star.

The 6-foot-9 power forward suffered two devastating head injuries as a young child, which left his family fearing for his life.

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Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-DavisCredit: Getty

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The NBA rookie suffered two devastating head injuries as a young childCredit: Getty

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But he overcame them to become an NBA starCredit: Getty

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Jackson-Davis’ biological father is former NBA All-Star Dale DavisCredit: Getty
But thanks to his deep athletic genes and will to win, Jackson-Davis emerged as an elite college star at Indiana before being drafted by the Warriors last year.

Growing up, Jackson-Davis appeared destined to have an elite athletic career.

The 24-year-old is the biological son of former NBA All-Star Dale Davis, who was a key player for the Indiana Pacers in the 1990s.

And he was raised by his mother and stepdad Ray Jackson, who is a former NFL running back.

Jackson signed with the Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans in 2003 before going on to play six games for the Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe.

But Jackson-Davis’s life took a devastating turn aged four when he pulled on an exercise band that was attached to a doorknob at his family home.

The cord suddenly came undone and a metal handle struck him in the forehead with the force of a gunshot wound.

Jackson-Davis needed seven hours of surgery to repair an open skull fracture.

“It was devastating,” his mother Karla told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Jackson-Davis returned for regular testing after his surgery so doctors could check on personality changes or neurological damage.

Thankfully, there were no long-term problems but two years later aged six, he was accidentally hit in the face with a golf club by a friend.

The impact shattered Jackson-Davis’s cheekbone and broke an orbital bone near his eye, and doctors screwed a plate into his cheek to fix the damage.

“He’s a walking miracle, honestly,” said his sister, Arielle Bellian.

Following these accidents, Jackson-Davis was extremely timid as a child – he was not particularly aggressive on the basketball court.

“He was always really careful,” his stepdad told The Athletic.

“I think he was worried about bumping his head again.

“He didn’t have a competitive bone in his body, which threw me for a loop because that’s not how I was.

“He was happier when one of his teammates made a shot. I’m like, ‘Dude, go get the ball and score’.”

After growing to 6-foot-5, Jackson-Davis finally blossomed in high school.

“I had athletic genes all around me, but it didn’t really click until I was going into my junior year of high school,” he said.

“Until that point, I never thought I could play professionally.”

At Indiana, Jackson-Davis became one of the leading power forwards in college basketball.

And he was drafted with the 57th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft by the Warriors.

As a rookie, Jackson-Davis has struggled for minutes – even with Draymond Green’s suspension.

But he knows he has to wait his turn to make it in the Warriors All-Star roster.

“He’s a really good prospect, I’m excited we have him,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said.