Getty Images LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Anthony Davis took no issue with some critical comments from LeBron James earlier in the week addressing the Los Angeles Lakers‘ struggles.
After a loss to the Miami Heat — which was the Lakers’ fifth in six games at the time — James was very honest about what he wants for the rest of his career.
“I think about that I don’t want to finish my career playing at this level from a team aspect,” James said. “I’ll still be able to be compete for championships because I know what I can still bring to any ball club with the right pieces.”
Davis doesn’t know how long the 38-year-old James has left in the league but understands the urgency from his LA co-star.
“I mean he’s not getting any younger,” Davis said of James, via ESPN. “Of course it would only make sense that he would want to compete for championships in the X amount of years he has left in him. So I took nothing from it. I took it for exactly what it was, what he said, and I feel like it’s a true statement.”
Davis’ Injuries Have Hampered Lakers
The Lakers’ struggles have been very much linked to Davis’ inability to stay on the court. Since winning the title in 2020 inside the bubble, he’s dealt with some significant issues that have limited him to 101 of 190 possible games since.
Davis is currently dealing with a foot injury and his timeline for a return is unknown. He told reporters on December 30 that the pain has started to subside but he still hasn’t resumed basketball activities.
“It’s really just about pain,” Davis said. “The pain is still there, I still feel it a little bit, not as much as I did before. More like a two (on a scale from one to 10), trending down to one. I’ve been lifting, and lifting is fine. Everything I do in the weight room is fine. If I see that it’s healed properly, or enough where I can go start ramping up on the court, then we’ll start that process.”
Davis is averaging 27.4 points with career-best numbers in rebounds per game (12.1) and field goal percentage (59.4%). He’s also added two blocks per game.
LeBron James Goes Ballistic For Win on Birthday
“I’ve been scoring 30 and it hasn’t worked, so … I’m gonna try 40.” – LeBron James #LakeShow
James backed up his comments with his best performance of the season, scoring 47 points with 10 rebounds and nine assists in a 130-121 victory against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
“I’ve been scoring 30 and it hasn’t worked, so I’m gonna try 40,” James said jokingly after the game. James recently had a streak of seven straight 30-points end and is averaging 27.8 this season — good for ninth in the league.
The big night came on James’ 38th birthday, which gave the four-time NBA champion further incentive to reflect on his career and what the future holds.
“For me it’s all about preparing the mind, putting in the work every single day,” James said. “Seeing how great I can be on a day-to-day basis and then obviously throughout all these seasons, there’s so many narratives and rollercoasters that you have to navigate through.
“The frustrations, the good times, the bad times, so I just try to stay as even keel and as sharp as I can be throughout the course of a full season.”
James’ previous comments seemed to spark the rest of the roster as well. Five other players scored in double-figures, including Thomas Bryant, who registered a huge double-double with 19 points and 17 rebounds.