If Baron Davis is still dreaming, at least he'll be doing it in his home bed from now on.

The kid who sneaked into Clippers games at the Sports Arena and the teenager who played at UCLA is now the adult who found his meandering way back to Los Angeles, introduced by the Clippers on Thursday, a day after signing a five-year, $65-million contract.

Calling it a dream come true, Davis, a two-time All-Star, immediately becomes the new face of the Clippers franchise. It's a challenge he declared himself prepared for.

"To come home and be in a place where your dream first started . . . it's truly, truly a dream come true," said Davis, 29.

Davis made shock waves and created a ripple effect felt down the coast when he opted out of the final season of his contract with the Golden State Warriors last week, walking away from $17.8 million.

The decision to sign with the Clippers, he said, came after the Warriors declined to offer him a long-term contract, and it was a chance to be closer to a community with which he has maintained close ties.

The powerful point guard has averaged 17.1 points and 7.2 assists in his nine-year career, solving the Clippers' recent point guard woes.

Still, for all the significance of his signing, it was also marked by who won't be playing alongside Davis.

"I did think that Elton [Brand] was going to come and I talked to him and tried to say, 'This is the best place for you, we can do great things,' but obviously, he chose otherwise," Davis said. "You can't be mad at him for that. There's no Elton Brand in L.A. It's my turn and it's a chance for the younger guys to step up and [we'll] get a couple more free agents and we'll be ready to go."