All eyes will be on Anthony Davis when the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals. The highly-anticipated series kicks off on Wednesday, September 30, and due to coronavirus, these games will look quite different from the usual NBA Final matchups, especially with the limited in-person attendance.
While LeBron James, 35, may get most of the credit for getting the Lakers back to the NBA Championship round, this feat would not have been possible without Davis, 27, who’s never before played in the Conference Finals. This series marks James’ 10th NBA Finals’ appearance and Davis’ first. Therefore, many fans are wondering if the power forward’s longtime girlfriend, Marlen P., will be in the Lakers bubble to watch his debut in person.
After the Lakers clinched their championship win following Game 6 on Sunday, October 11, Davis’ daughter Nala and his rumored wife were on the court to celebrate.
GettyAnthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts with his daughter Nala after winning the 2020 NBA Championship over the Miami Heat in Game Six of the 2020 NBA Finals.
James has been open about keeping his kids away from the bubble but stated that he invited wife, Savannah, and his mother inside. As for Davis, he’s predictably stayed mum as to whether Marlen and their daughter, Nala, will be in attendance to watch his first appearance in the NBA Finals.
InstagramAnthony Davis and Marlen P at her baby shower.
The NBA has stated that a total of only 92 guests from both the Lakers and Heat will be in attendance to watch the finals at AdventHealth Arena on the Walt Disney World campus, as reported by The Washington Post.
Davis & Marlen P. Made Their First Public Appearance Together at Vanity Fair’s Oscar Party in February
GettyAnthony Davis (R) attends the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 09, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California.
When Davis arrived at Vanity Fair’s annual Academy Awards after-party with Marlen by his side, it was shocking to see that they stopped to take photos together on the red carpet photos. This was the first time the longtime couple posed together for the press.
With the number of high-profile events Davis must attend as the star of the Los Angeles Lakers, and the multitude of national prime-time games during which the camera pans to players’ families in the arena, it’s actually impressive that there are so few pictures of him and Marlen in the media.
Davis spent the first seven years of his career in New Orleans with the Pelicans after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2012 draft. When the Kentucky alum uprooted his life to join the Lakers in June 2019, Marlen and Nala moved to the west coast with him.
While the couple has been photographed by paparazzi with James and his wife on double dates, the NBA star has never personally shared any photos of his baby mama or child on social media, but in an interview with Sports Illustrated, it was clear that Marlen was a very important person in helping their family adjust to life in LA.
GettyLeBron James & Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 6’10 NBA star was in the midst of renovating his $7.5 million home out in Westlake Village, but because traffic is a nightmare traveling to and from the Staples Center in downtown LA, Marlen and Davis were looking for a new spot.
Marlen vented about Davis saying, “He’s like, ‘The house has got to have a court and a sauna and a gym….’ before Davis’ sports agent Rich Paul responds, “That’s easy. That’s most of the houses, when you’re spending the kind of money you guys want to spend anyway. I got it. Trust me.”
As reported by TMZ, Davis and Marlen are renting out a $14 million mansion in Bel-Air, which is much closer to the Staples Center. The 12,000 square-foot, 6-bedroom, 6-bathroom home includes a pool, personal gym, and a basketball court.
Because of the Bubble, Davis Admitted This Championship Round Will Be ‘Toughest in NBA History’
GettyLos Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis warms up on the court on August 5, 2020.
Even though the No.1 seeded Lakers are taking on the Miami Heat, a 5th seed, Davis said that he thinks this is going to be one of the hardest championships runs ever.
“I think this one is going to be a tough one,” Davis said. “People said it’s going to be the toughest championship in NBA history from a mental standpoint just because of the circumstances,” as reported by USA Today’s Mark Medina.
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Is Anthony Davis’ Girlfriend Marlen P. In the Lakers NBA Finals Bubble?