Anthony Davis Surprised His Lakers Teammates by What He Did to LeBron James
The LA Lakers have guided their way through an impressive 2019-20 season behind their dynamic star duo in Anthony Davis and LeBron James. The two have worked well together from the get-go that has pushed the franchise on the verge of earning their 17th NBA title. A tremendously strong bond has built between the star forwards that saw Davis do something involving James that caught his teammates by surprise.
Anthony Davis, LeBron James have Lakers in a promising spot
It has been nothing short of an impressive 2019-20 season for the Lakers since the arrival of star big man Anthony Davis.
Davis has put forth an impressive first campaign with LA that saw him quickly blend well playing alongside LeBron James. They have been the team’s driving force to their success, pushing the franchise to the NBA Finals for the first time in a decade. That led to Davis putting together one of his best seasons, earning him an All-NBA First Team selection, and finished second for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
The Lakers’ two stars’ relationship has received much scurtiny, especially during the franchise’s deep run in the playoffs. That has pushed forward a detail that surprised many of the players on the roster concerning Davis’ role in the pairing with James.
Anthony Davis has kept LeBron James accountable
With the tremendous success that Anthony Davis has had in his first season with LeBron James in LA, it has pushed forward significant chatter around their bond. It has started the conversation around Davis being the most talented teammate James has had in his career.
There may be another element to their pairing that has guided them forward and drawn them closer together. According to Zach Lowe of ESPN, Davis initially surprised his teammates after pointing out to James his mistakes in practices while urging him to correct them next time around, which head coach Frank Vogel indirectly confirmed.
“There were a couple of instances when they had a little back and forth,” Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said. “‘That’s on you. Don’t try to deflect. That’s your rotation.’ And LeBron would accept it.”
In other instances, the perception would stir toward a negative tone, but James and Davis have a strong bond that extends well off the court. There is a tremendous level of respect and admiration for each other that has guided them forward.
It’s a huge reason why the Lakers are in the position of being on the verge of securing the franchise’s 17th NBA title.
Lakers nearing closer to an NBA title
The Lakers have experienced a strong push through the 2020 playoffs that have them on the verge of winning an NBA title.
LA has held firm command through the first two games of the NBA Finals against an undermanned Miami Heat. The Heat have struggled with injuries as Goran Dragic (foot), and Bam Adebayo (neck strain) exited Game 1 due to injury and didn’t play in Game 2. Meanwhile, star forward Jimmy Butler is working his way through a lingering ankle injury.
All that aside, Anthony Davis and LeBron James have played like early candidates for the Finals MVP award. Davis has dominated on both ends of the floor as he’s averaging 33.0 points and 11.5 rebounds on 63.7% shooting from the floor. James has put forth near triple-double production with 29.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 98.0 assists on 54.5% shooting from the 3-point range and 43.8% from beyond the arc.
That alone has offset the series significantly in their favor that could push them to an NBA championship.
