Anthony Davis requested a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2018-19 season. He wound up getting traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2019 for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart and the purple and gold won the 2020 championship behind the stellar play of Davis and LeBron James.
The other team in LA, the Los Angeles Clippers, made a big splash in 2019 as well. They traded for Paul George and signed Kawhi Leonard in free agency. The Clippers were linked to Davis before acquiring George from the Oklahoma City Thunder, but according to Colin Cowherd, they were never interested in trading for AD.
“I had a good source inside the Clippers that told me when AD was on the market, they didn’t think he was A, a leader, or B, tough,” Cowherd said on his podcast. “They thought he was gifted and they didn’t think he would play through injuries. They didn’t think he worked out enough.
“The idea was everybody loved AD and the Clippers have a very deep roster, very shrewd front office. They didn’t love him and their takeaway was he has to be led. He can’t lead.”
Since entering the NBA in 2012 as the No. 1 overall pick out of Kentucky, Davis hasn’t played more than 75 games in a season. He’s suffered a number of lower-body injuries and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley thinks the Brow is so fragile that he calls him “Street Clothes.”
Davis Talked About His Injuries
Davis talked about the two injuries he suffered this season with Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times on April 4. The Chicago native sprained his MCL in his left knee in December and sustained a right mid-foot sprain in February.
“This is what I’ve learned about injuries,” Davis said. “Last year when I wasn’t playing, people were saying, ‘AD’s giving up on his team. It’s the playoffs. AD has to play. He’s got to play.’ And when I went out there to play, got hurt again, they said, ‘Who was his trainer? Who let him play?’
“So, what the [expletive] do you want me to do? When I play, it’s a problem. It’s a problem when I don’t play. At the end of the day, I’ve got to do what’s best for me and how my body feels. And we go from there. I’m not worried about who’s saying what or who thinks this about me because none of them have stepped on the floor and played. And the ones that did play, they should understand. These aren’t little ticky-tack injuries.”
Davis suffered his knee injury after LeBron knocked Minnesota Timberwolves swingman Jaden McDaniels into the side of his leg. The All-Star big man then injured his foot after stepping on the foot of Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert at Crypto.com Arena.
These are fluke injuries that can transpire to anyone, something Davis discussed with Woike.
Davis to Woike: ‘These Really Weren’t My Fault’
The Clippers may think Davis isn’t tough. However, it’s not his fault that he suffered two severe injuries this season.
“The real basketball guys know that there’s nothing I could’ve done in these situations,” Davis told Woike. “What? Move out the way? I keep that attitude because, one, my wife makes me, and two, it’s knowing that these really weren’t my fault. How can I be down or upset or care what people are saying? It could’ve been anybody. I could wear shoes that come up to my knees. There’s not one player in the world who could step on somebody’s foot from the air and not roll your ankle. It doesn’t matter the shoe. You step on somebody’s foot, you’re going to roll your ankle.”
The Clippers have zero championships in franchise history. They blew a 3-1 series lead to the Denver Nuggets in the 2020 Western Conference semifinals despite having Leonard and George.
So even though the Lakers were awful this season, they at least won a title in 2020 and have 17 rings in franchise history.
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Lakers Rival Didn’t Trade for Anthony Davis Since He’s Not ‘Tough’: Report