The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t hesitate to give up valuable assets to land Anthony Davis as soon as they became available.
Davis has everything to be the perfect sidekick to LeBron James, and he was young enough to carry the torch once “The King” was no longer in the league.
The early returns were spectacular, as he helped the team win the NBA championship for the first time in over a decade.
However, he hasn’t been able to replicate that effect since.
Nevertheless, LeBron is still confident that Davis’ numbers will be high in the rafters of Crypto.com Arena once all is said and done.
“AD will be up when he finishes the game. Number 3 will be up in the rafters” 🤝
LeBron on AD’s historic 30-20 Game 1 performance pic.twitter.com/Hl1BZkkgWe
– NBA TV (@NBATV) May 3, 2023
Truth be told, Davis probably hasn’t done enough to earn that respect.
The Lakers have nothing more to do than to wear that purple and gold jersey.
While some might argue that Davis is one of the most talented players ever, he had a truly inspired season with the team, coming off a 2020 championship run.
Of course, his numbers have always been solid, but he has failed to be on the court more often.
More than that, the Lakers didn’t get past the first round of the playoffs (or even the post-season) in two of the three seasons before this year.
At 30, Davis is still young enough to change that narrative and join Mt. Rushmore of the greats taking the East.
It’s one thing to be an All-NBA caliber player in the prime years of your career, but it’s another to hang your jersey on the ceiling.
Davis still has work to do on that front, but perhaps a championship in 2023 will get him one step closer.
next:
NBA Insider Clears His View on the Lakers’ Title Chances