NBA Rumors: Anthony Davis Reveals Expectations From LeBron James And L.A. Lakers In 2019-20 Season
All-Star center Anthony Davis has turned himself into one of the best players in the NBA since the New Orleans Pelicans selected him as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. However, during his seven-year stint in New Orleans, their only greatest achievement was reaching the Western Conference Semifinals. With his goal to win his first NBA championship title, Davis decided to part ways with the Pelicans and in the 2019 NBA offseason, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and future draft picks.
In Los Angeles, Anthony Davis will be having the opportunity to play alongside the man who is widely considered as the best basketball player on the planet – LeBron James. In an interview with Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Davis said that he and James are “excited” to play together in one team.
“We’re excited to play with each other on a team, go out here and compete,” Davis said, as quoted by Lakers Nation.
“It’s something that’s special and it’s something that we definitely want to make sure we take advantage of while we’re both here.”
Pairing Anthony Davis and LeBron James have undeniably turned the Lakers from one of the worst teams in the league to a legitimate title contender in the deep Western Conference. However, with the emergence of teams like the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Houston Rockets, Davis knows that their road to the NBA Finals won’t be easy. Still, Davis remains very optimistic that James could lead him “down that path” and bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Los Angeles.
“Obviously there are some other great teams around the league, but winning a championship is not easy,” Davis said.
“It’s very difficult. He knows that. I haven’t been down that path, but hopefully this year he can lead me down that path and we can win.”
Anthony Davis says he and LeBron James are "excited to play with each other" on the Lakers and compete for a championship.
We are also excited for that. https://t.co/UjXgI4z5Vv pic.twitter.com/CxqfEyCVeA
— Silver Screen and Roll (@LakersSBN) July 8, 2019
It’s hardly a surprise why Anthony Davis is confident about the Lakers’ chances of winning the NBA championship title in the 2019-20 NBA season. LeBron James is a three-time NBA champion who ruled the Eastern Conference for eight consecutive years. At 34, he still hasn’t shown major signs of slowing down and remains as one of the dominant players in the NBA.
Anthony Davis and LeBron James may have failed to recruit Kawhi Leonard to Los Angeles, but they still managed to add players who could boost their chance of returning to title contention next season. In the 2019 NBA free agency, the Lakers signed DeMarcus Cousins, Danny Green, Jared Dudley, Quin Cook, and Avery Bradley. They also brought back some of their own free agents like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rajon Rondo, and JaVale McGee.
