Anthony Davis signed a massive five-year, $190 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers this week. There were a lot of reasons why the 27-year-old felt comfortable putting ink to paper on such a lengthy deal, but one key one was how happy he is in his current situation.
This week, Davis spoke to the media and revealed which two Lakers teammates always give him and LeBron James a ton of confidence.
“[Jared Dudley] and Markieff are the two guys that give me and LeBron the most confidence in ourselves… It’s good to have teammates like that who have your back and want the best for you.”
His fantastic teammates and the overall feel of the franchise played a huge role in shaping Davis’ desire to stay in LA.
“I love this organization and I love the coaching staff that we have… I just figured why not be here.”
The camaraderie that last year’s championship-winning LA squad displayed definitely left an impression.
“I’ve been on a lot of teams,” Davis continued. “I’ve had a ton of teammates… This past year’s team was the closest team I’ve ever been on.”
It wasn’t all fond recollection and jokes, though. Davis also get very honest about the other big reason why he signed such a long-term contract: his past history with injuries.
“I do have a little history of injuries,” he admitted.
“I wanted to secure the most amount of years possible and be here long-term with this team so I thought the five-year deal was best for me and my situation.”
Over the course of his eight-year professional career Davis has never played a full 82-game schedule. Throughout his first four years in New Orleans he never even once played 70 games, and in 2018-19 he only participated in 56 outings.
Extreme honesty from Paige Spiranac. https://t.co/Nt7oqZbhdN
— Game 7 (@game7__) December 4, 2020
Still, despite injury worries always hanging over his head, Davis is excited about what next year will bring.
When pressed on his goals heading into 2020-21, the Lakers big man kept it real simple.
“The goal is to win another championship,” he said.
Colby Covington issued a direct warning to LeBron. https://t.co/JcgkT2ELjN
— Game 7 (@game7__) December 1, 2020
Last year Davis averaged 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 85 percent from the free throw line. In the playoffs those numbers turned into 27.7 points per game, 9.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free throw line.
If Davis can come out and perform next season in the way he did this year, the Lakers winning another title suddenly becomes a very realistic possibility.
Currently, most sports books have the champs listed as the favorites to repeat – with the Los Angeles Clippers right behind them nipping at their heels.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
