LeBron James has decided he is ‘over’ having Anthony Davis as a teammate for the Los Angeles Lakers. The 38-year-old is concerned Davis is the wrong man to help him win another NBA championship having grown ‘frustrated’ with his fellow star.
According to CBS Sports, James no longer believes in the forward’s toughness. It comes after claims the Lakers could trade Davis to try and convince James not to retire after failing to commit to returning for another season. With James now said to be keen to move on from Davis, it will be fascinating to see how the offseason plays out in Los Angeles after their season came to an abrupt end in the Playoffs.
The Lakers responded to an underwhelming regular season by progressing from the play-in tournament to the Western Conference final, where the Denver Nuggets vanquished them in four games. They defeated the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors in the first two postseason rounds, an unexpected achievement given their mediocrity for much of the campaign.
James was not satisfied, though, and reportedly blamed Davis for not doing enough in the series sweep against Denver. He is also apparently concerned with Davis’ well-documented injury history.
Davis averaged 26.8 points, 14 rebounds and 2.8 blocks against the Nuggets, while James averaged 27.8 points, 10 assists and 9.5 rebounds across the four games. However, James shot just 26.4 percent from 3-point range in the playoffs. And it was him, not Davis, who nursed a serious injury down the stretch after tearing a tendon in his right foot.
The frustration of getting swept prompted James to declare he would consider retirement, as he told reporters, “Just for me personally going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about.”
He has not announced a final decision on his future, leaving his status in limbo through Thursday night’s NBA Draft, when many teams will make trades.
The New Orleans Pelicans dealt Anthony Davis to the Lakers before the 2019-20 season following a not-so-subtle recruiting effort from James. In exchange, they received Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram and draft pick compensation. At first, the move received high praise, as the team won the NBA Finals in 2020.
But Davis’ need to manage his regular-season minutes in Los Angeles due to fitness concerns has made him a bogeyman for critics. He has never played more than 62 games in a campaign for the organisation.
Still, Davis typically produces at a high level when he does take the floor, averaging a double-double with the Lakers while playing stellar defence. He might be the best player the club can pair with James at this time, with salary cap restrictions making it difficult to trade for a superstar from elsewhere. Despite rumours of a rift, Davis has insisted he maintains a positive bond with his teammate.
“Y’all know,” Davis said when asked about his relationship with James during the regular season. “Come on now. Come on now. Y’all know me and Bron’s relationship.”