Getty Anthony Davis, left, and LeBron James, right, of the Lakers
In his 17 seasons in the NBA, Lakers star forward LeBron James has had the luxury of playing with some top-tier teammates. He played with Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Ray Allen with the Miami Heat, then in his return to Cleveland in 2014, he joined with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. Allen is already in the Basketball Hall of Fame, Wade will soon join him and there’s a chance Bosh, Love and Irving will, too.
But, as has become clear as the NBA playoffs have unfolded in the league’s bubble environment in central Florida, James has never played with a big man who has the combination of skill and versatility quite like current Laker Anthony Davis has. And Wade has a strong opinion on how good Davis is.
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Appearing in his first two NBA Finals games, Davis has been dominant, scoring 51 points in the two outings, going 19-for-37 shooting from the field and 4-for-8 from the 3-point line. That’s led to an increasingly widespread conclusion among NBA observers: Of all the teammates James has had over the year, Davis is the best.
Anthony Davis put up 30+ points through the first 3 quarters in both Game 1 and Game 2. The last @Lakers player to do this in back-to-back NBA Finals games was Shaquille O’Neal in 2002.
An argument could be made that it was Wade, who averaged 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in four years alongside James with the Heat, who was James’ best teammate. But a tweet from Wade should end that debate.
After one of James’ former teammates, center Kendrick Perkins, tweeted that, “With All due respect to the great @DwyaneWade,” Davis is a better fit for James, Wade chimed in to say, “I agree.”
LeBron James, Anthony Davis Have Had Long-Standing Bond
James and Davis have had a bond going back to Davis’ time with the USA Basketball Olympic team in 2012. That has been strengthened over the years, but the pair has gotten even closer during this season. James spoke on Davis and the obligation he feels to be a good role model for him before the start of the Finals:
Very, very, very, very long ago, when I was 27, a long-ass time ago, when I was 27 in this league—I just wanted to put myself in his position and have that, sometimes what I would be thinking at that age if I was with someone that was in the later stage in their career.
I just don’t ever, I don’t want to let him down. And I am not talking on the floor because there’s thing that, sometimes you don’t—they go in, they don’t go in. I just want to, I don’t want to say a role model, but someone who holds myself to a higher standard as far as character. I don’t want to let him down. And then, it is funny because it has rubbed off on me as well. He don’t want to let me down.
Anthony Davis, Dwyane Wade: Only LeBron Teammates With First-Team All-NBA Honors
All season, Davis has been just behind James in the race for the league’s MVP award—James was second on the list this year and Davis was sixth. Davis was also in the running for Defensive Player of the Year, finishing second for that award.
James has never had a teammate rank so highly in those categories. While he played with stars in Los Angeles, Cleveland and Miami, his original stint with the Cavaliers was notably short on surrounding talent—the best player James played with there might have been Zydrunas Ilgauskas or, perhaps, Mo Williams. Each made one All-Star appearance during their time with James, the only time he played with an All-Star during his first run (2003-2010) in Cleveland.
Two @Lakers teammates on the All-NBA First Team for the first time since 2004.
@KingJames and @AntDavis23 take to the court for Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals (LAL leads 2-0) tonight at 9 PM ET on TNT!
Not only was Davis an All-Star, but he was chosen for the All-NBA first team this season. Wade, in 2009-10, is the only other teammate James has had on the All-NBA first team. Wade was on the second team once and the third team twice. Irving was on the third team once during James’ last run in Cleveland in 20014-15.
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