The Los Angeles Lakers did right by LeBron James by getting him a second All-Star player in Anthony Davis that could have them competing for championships in Year 1.
Even better than that, James and Davis seem to be more than just teammates, showing a legitimate friendship that could accelerate the development of this team.
There are obviously a ton of great friendships in the league, but it’s rare to see players of James and Davis’ caliber be friends off the court and actually get to team up. It’s that connection and the one between their shared Klutch Sports agent Rich Paul that likely made him want to be a Laker in the first place.
Now, Davis is more than ready to see how James operates on the court on a day-to-day basis, saying that’s something he never really had a chance to do before.
“The things he does on the floor are pretty amazing. When you see it on TV, if you’re a fan of the game you watch it a lot. I’ve never really had a chance to experience playing alongside him,” Davis said.
“The 2012 Olympics I was like the towel guy, just waving the towel. We had a little bit of time during the All-Star Game, but to get a full season (together) and see the things he’s able to do: pass, shoot, talks well defensively, he’s a great leader. I’m excited to get a lot of that this season and go from there.”
Even before the trade, Davis and James were spending a ton of time together, something the former says has nothing to do with the Lakers. He also said that he’s excited to work with his ‘close friend’ to bring the Lakers a championship.
“A lot of people before the trade happened speculated I was coming to the Lakers just because we had dinner. Me and LeBron are close friends, and a lot of players in the league are really close with each other off the court. Obviously, I live here during the summer, and he’s available,” Davis said.
“When it happened, obviously we were both excited. We haven’t really talked much about the team, but I know it’s definitely going to get talked about and we’re going to try and do whatever we can to make this a championship team.”
James and Davis have seemingly been inseparable since the announcement of the trade. The two attended Las Vegas Summer League together twice, and James was in attendance at Davis’ introductory press conference.
It seems that James is far more excited about the 2019-20 NBA season than the last, and it’s because he gets to play with his friend who just so happens to also be a top-five player in the league.
