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Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers are battling to be back-to-back NBA Champions. However, the team is starting to see first-hand just how hard it is to remain on top the season after a Finals win.
After earning his first NBA title with the Lakers last season, Davis is starting to understand how difficult it is to repeat and now has a newfound respect for the Golden State Warriors.
‘It Was Very Tough What They Did’
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Davis won his very first Larry O’Brien trophy this past season with his new team in Los Angeles. After winning 4-2 in a series against the Miami Heat in the Orlando Bubble, the 6-foot-10 power forward is starting to see just how hard it is to do it all over again, which has caused him to acquire a new respect for Golden State.
Everybody wants to be a champion. That’s the toughest part, Davis said in an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols. Now, as a champion, you come out this year and you really appreciate it … it was tough what they did. That’s very tough to come out and repeat.
Although they made five consecutive NBA Finals appearances, the Warriors received a lot of backlash for their once star-studded team. Specifically, when Kevin Durant was added to the already stacked roster, which aided them in winning back-to-back championships the two seasons after.
Unfortunately, what comes after a team wins an NBA championship is high expectations the following season. Being the reigning NBA champions puts this target on a team’s back for the rest of the league that follows them around for the entire season. The Warriors experienced it after their win in 2017 and now the Lakers are going through the same thing.
Davis Understands What It Takes
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Now, as Davis and LeBron James are battling to bring Los Angeles a second consecutive championship, Davis has a better understanding of the level of difficulty that this is, regardless of who is on the roster. Davis even referenced the great efforts of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal three-peating for the once Lakers dynasty, and now the current Lakers team is working hard to do it twice.
After the Lakers started the season with huge momentum, the team has lost two of their last three games to the Philadelphia 76ers and the Detroit Pistons. However, this Lakers team is loaded with the talent that they need in order to achieve a repeat.
The Lakers have already faced off against the Warriors one time this season, resulting in a win for the inconsistent Warriors. Golden State managed to pull off an astonishing comeback from being down by 19 points and winning 115-113 at Staples Center.
The Warriors and Lakers will play again at the end of February. The Warriors will travel back to the Staples Center in the hopes of beating the reigning NBA champions twice.
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