NBA Rumors: Anthony Davis Talks About LeBron James, L.A Lakers, And Their Goals In 2019-20 Season
After suffering a huge disappointment in the 2018-19 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers became more aggressive in upgrading their roster this summer. Despite failing to secure a deal before the February NBA trade deadline, the Lakers still succeeded to acquire All-Star center Anthony Davis in the 2019 NBA offseason by trading Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and three future first-round picks to the New Orleans Pelicans.
When Anthony Davis first arrived in Los Angeles, the initial belief was that he would be there to be the No. 1 sidekick of LeBron James. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case. In a recent interview with Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Davis revealed that James personally endorsed him to the higher-ups in the organization to be the Lakers’ main option on the offensive end of the floor in the 2019-20 NBA season.
“I’ve kind of been a focal-point player my whole career, especially in New Orleans. But first off, to have a guy like LeBron, someone of his caliber, go tell management and ownership and the coaches that he wants me to be the focal point is an honor,” Davis said.
“I know what comes with that, and that’s a lot of heavy lifting. I want to be able to do that. I think I have the capabilities of doing that. And obviously, with the team’s support, it’s going to be a lot easier on me. We have a great team.”
A @YahooSports exclusive: Lakers star Anthony Davis (@AntDavis23) reveals personal goal of winning DPOY, how he plans to challenge all teammates, what LeBron James did privately to ensure he’s the focal point and why it’s his time. https://t.co/GGnZgXyntz
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) September 9, 2019
It’s definitely a great honor for a player like Anthony Davis to receive that type of trust and support from the man who is considered as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. At 34, LeBron James is yet to show any significant signs of slowing down, but he knows the limitation of his body. Giving the role as the focal point of the Lakers’ offense to Davis is undeniably the right move for James.
Though it will only be their first season of playing together, LeBron James is well-aware that Anthony Davis is fully capable of getting the job done. Aside from being the focal point of the Lakers’ offense, Davis is also planning to push himself to exert more effort on the opposite end of the floor. In his interview with Haynes, Davis revealed that he’s aiming to become the Defensive Player of the Year next season and wants him and James to be named on the All-Defensive Team.
Of course, their main goal is still to bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Los Angeles in the 2019-20 NBA season. With the emergence of numerous powerhouse teams in the league, Davis knows that their road to championship won’t be easy. However, if they remain healthy throughout the season, Davis strongly believes that the sky is the limit for the Lakers. In a previous The Inquisitr article, Alex Caruso shared the same sentiment as Davis. Caruso said that as long as they have Davis and LeBron James on their roster, the Lakers have a “good shot to win” next season.
