LeBron James and Anthony Davis together helped the Los Angeles Lakers win their 17th title in 2020. Since then, the fans have regarded them as among the best duos in the league. On top of that, the Lakers Nation is looking up to AD and LBJ to lead them again to championship glory. Last season, the Lakers came pretty close to a title victory. But the Denver Nuggets eliminated the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The top two stars of the Lakers have not been able to play more than 60 games in the last three seasons. Moreover, the absence of the James-Davis duo has cost the team dearly in the previous seasons.
Irrespective of how great Anthony Davis and LeBron James are as players, they have become too injury-prone. Anthony Davis missed several games last season, more than twenty, due to a stress injury. On the other hand, LeBron James sustained a tendon injury on his right foot and made the King stay out of the game for almost a month. But the Lakers Faithful will want these guys to stay healthy. After all, they are the face of the franchise in the modern era. However, LeBron James, during Monday’s Media Day, mentioned Anthony Davis is the face of the Lakers and not him.
LeBron James Says, “Anthony Davis Is The Face Of The Lakers”
According to ESPN, LeBron James recently mentioned Anthony Davis as one of the greats of all time who represented the iconic franchise all these years. LeBron James suggests AD will have his jersey retired when the time comes. Last season, the eight-time All-Star had the most win shares in the team’s roster with 9.0. That is 3.4 more than the rest of the Lakers team. Moreover, as per Value Over Replacement Player, LeBron James and Anthony Davis shared the lead with 4.0 in the LA team. On top of that, the Lakers extended AD’s contract to another three years with a value of $186 million.
However, Anthony Davis told Michael Corvo of Clutch Points that he believes it is the Lakers team, and he plays for this franchise. AD tried to handle LBJ’s comment about him being the face of the franchise as diplomatically as possible. In the end, it doesn’t really matter regarding it’s whole team. But what’s more important is for LBJ and AD to stay healthy and help the Lakers go the distance. Everybody knows what the James-Davis duo can do if they stay healthy. Even if there is Austin Reaves and other quality players in the LA side, the James-Davis duo will be their most crucial factor for winning the title.
The LA Side Will Meet The Nuggets In Their First Game Of The Next Season
The Denver Nuggets went on to win the NBA Finals last edition. The Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray-led attack has been the strongest in the league since last season. They were too strong for the Anthony Davis-led Lakers, who were the strongest defense. Nevertheless, the Lakers are prepping to make things even between them and the Nuggets.
The Lakers will play their first game of the next season against the Denver Nuggets. Moreover, the journey for the 17-time champions in the next season will start with a road game. Currently, the teams are heading for their training camps. Meanwhile, LeBron James and Anthony Davis must chalk out a plan to stay healthy and play as many games as possible next season.
