What a difference a year makes.
On January 28, 2019, Anthony Davis informed the New Orleans Pelicans that he would not sign a contract extension in the coming off-season and requested a trade.
A day later, the NBA fined AD $50,000 for making his request public.
The Pelicans traded Davis to the Lakers this off-season in a deal that shipped Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball to New Orleans.
The first pick in the 2012 NBA Draft out of Kentucky, Davis, 26, has hopes of winning an NBA Championship and winning the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award this season.
He is currently averaging 27.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 and 2.6 blocks per contest for the 33-7 Lakers.
In a recent chat with New Orleans hip hop legend Juvenile, I discussed Anthony Davis’ New Orleans Pelicans exit, LeBron James, Lonzo Ball and the legacy of his song Back that Ass Up.
Check out a snippet from our Q&A below before he took the stage at The Moon with Young Jeezy, Trina and Azia during DJ Demp Week in Tallahassee, Florida.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: What has surprised you about Lonzo Ball?
Juvenile: That fact he’s making shots. He altered his shot. I didn’t think he was going to be a good shooter, but I always liked his defense and the way he pass the ball. He turnin’ it around a little too right now.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Anthony Davis is living his best life with the Los Angeles Lakers. What do you miss about him in New Orleans?
Juvenile: Well when he wore that ‘That’s All Folks’ shirt he kinda like pissed me off, you know but Anthony Davis was really a perennial All-Star every year. What I miss about him is really him playing and having someone on the team that could do something, we lost a lot of games with him.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Do you wish Anthony Davis well with the Lakers?
Juvenile: Well, I wish Anthony Davis well with the Lakers. I love the Zion Williamson thing. If we didn’t have no Zion, then I would’ve wanted him back. Know what I’m sayin’? I’m cool, I’m cool with Zion.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: When you watch him with the Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James, do you like what you see?
Juvenile: I like what I see when I come out you know outside of me being a Pelicans fan, I’m a Celtics fan. So I don’t go that way.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Really? How did you become a Celtics fan?
Juvenile: Ay man, history. History. We got a couple cats like Bill Russell [West Monroe, LA] and Robert Parrish [Shreveport, LA] that come from Louisiana. I got an autograph from Bill Russell as a kid. He probably don’t remember it but I got an autograph from him as a kid. It’s something that stuck with me for the rest of my life.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Jaylen Brown is playing his ass off with Boston…
Juvenile: Yeah, yeah we ballin’ man. We ballin’. I think we just need to turn it around on Milwaukee. That #2 spot is pretty cool.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: When you NBA’s Eastern Conference, first of all, it’s not just New Orleans, we can talk about the NBA at large. When you look at the Boston Celtics, I talked to Jaylen Brown a couple weeks ago and what he said to was, do you think that people are overlooking you because of the Milwaukees, even with attention that Brooklyn is getting despite the injuries, when you look at the Philadelphia 76ers, outside of the Boston Celtics and the NBA’s Eastern Conference who do you like…currently like?
Juvenile: I can’t lie, I like the Heat. I think the Heat are a threat.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Jimmy Butler?
Juvenile: Not just Jimmy Butler, I don’t know the cats’ names…
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn…
Juvenile: Herro! That guy can shoot. Yeah I think Miami is going to be a force to be reckoned with.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: When you look at the NBA’s Western Conference with the Los Angeles Clippers, everybody pays attention to the Lakers. Do you think that the Clippers are a legitimate threat to the Lakers?
Juvenile: Anywhere where Kawhi is a legitimate threat. Now I’m not just gonna judge [George] out the gate but I feel anywhere where Kawhi is, is a threat. The fact that he plays defense and has that killer instinct.
GettyKawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: I think the people think that despite the fact that Kawhi left Toronto, Toronto isn’t a threat. Pascal Siakam is playing good ball too.
Juvenile: Yeah, Yeah! Siakam is playing good ball, [laughs] but Kawhi is a BEAST man! Let’s be honest man, he’s like a walking championship to be honest.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: ‘Back That Ass Up’ is legendary. What was the first NBA game that you remember them playing I guess the edited version of your song?
Juvenile: Man, Whoo! that’s a hard one there… I think the Hornets, one the Hornets games that I was at or on TV. I remember if I can recall I think it was the Celtics, one of the Celtics games. I think the Celtics were playing Sacramento ’cause I was watching that game and I heard it come on.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: My baby sister is 23. She was young when that song came out. To see it playing in the club to this day, for people who weren’t even born when they hear it does it make you feel old? [laughs]
Juvenile: Oh yeah, oh yeah I gotta admit that especially when come up to me and call me “Uncle.” You know that makes me feel old too, but I’m cool wit it. I’m good with it.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: As an OG in the hip-hop game, who do you like in hip-hop currently?
Juvenile: Oh that list is long. My nephew is always bringing me some new artists like every other week. But I like, of course I like Drake. I don’t know if we can consider him as young ‘cause he’s been in the game for a minute now. I like 2 Chains, Jay-Z crazy, but my list is long. I’m listening to my son [Young Juve] music, I like the little cat from Houston… The one that makes the beats? Travis $cott. I like Kendrick, my list long though.
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Anthony Davis’ Pelicans Exit, Lonzo Ball’s Jumper Critiqued by Rap Legend