Freshly minted NBA champion Anthony Davis knows a thing or two about forcing yourself out of a losing situation and into a winning one. The 27-year-old did precisely that when he bullied the New Orleans Pelicans into trading him to the Los Angeles Lakers last year.
This week, Davis observed a similar situation unfold when James Harden and Russell Westbrook made a serious push to get themselves off the Houston Rockets. In a conversation with Yahoo Sports NBA insider Chris Haynes, Davis offered a very honest take on the events that have unfolded over the past few days.
The perks of being a Laker. https://t.co/yt6hWFrxXi
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 17, 2020
“I think that those guys just want to win,” he said on Posted Up w/Chris Haynes. “Like I said, I was in that situation last year, you know, where I wanted to win. And I was able to get the job done, you know, the following year.”
What it boils down to, in Davis’ estimation, is that Harden and Westbrook care more about winning than money at this stage in their careers.
“But, you know, you got two guys like JH and Russ, you know, two guys who made a ton of money, you know, guys who now are looking to win, like I want to win,” he said. “And I’m not saying they didn’t want to win before. But, you know, Russ has been there one year, James has been there for six years or seven years, something like that.”
Vanessa Bryant kept it real. https://t.co/0QXhwdBf6w
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 16, 2020
Although Davis hasn’t personally spoken to either Harden or Westbrook, he understands their position well.
“I haven’t talked to any of them or don’t know,” he continued. “But if it’s true that both are looking to move forward and try to compete for a championship. Because at the end of the day, you come into the league to make a ton of money. But you want to win.”
At the end of the day, it’s all about capturing that elusive title.
“You want to be a champion,” Davis added. “You want to have that feeling. So like I said, those guys are probably in that stage right now where they want to compete for a championship.”
In Part 2 of @YahooSports’ “Posted Up w. C. Haynes” featuring Anthony Davis, he talks about what James Harden and Russell Westbrook are going through in wanting out of Houston.
“I think those guys just want to win. I was in that situation last year.”
🎥: https://t.co/2AwlRZwt9u pic.twitter.com/WCHkfpceZe
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) November 17, 2020
At the moment, it remains unclear how close all parties involved are to getting traded. Although Harden and Westbrook both want out, Houston is waiting to get the right deals for the two stars.
On Tuesday afternoon, conflicting reports emerged regarding Harden’s status. Some indicate that a deal with Brooklyn is imminent, while others indicate that it is not even close.
Similarly, it’s not clear how much of a market there is for Westbrook. There has been chatter of the Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks being intrigued by the prospect of bringing on him – and then polar opposite reports suggesting there is no substantive interest in the former league MVP at all.
One way or another, all questions will be answered in the coming days and weeks.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
