"He is the face": LeBron James hails Anthony Davis as Lakers' future franchise star following $186 million deal
LeBron James is still one of the best active players in the NBA today, however, it appears that he's no longer interested in being the LA Lakers' main attraction.
During the Lakers' media day, James expressed his thoughts on Anthony Davis during an interview with ESPN. LeBron has always thought highly of Davis and recently told reporters that the big man is the face of the franchise:
"He [Anthony Davis] is the face. You look at all these numbers that surrounds us in this facility, all the greats that has come here, AD is one of them. I was very happy and extremely proud and it's super dope to see him get that extension."
It's no secret that LeBron James has always seen that Anthony Davis would one day take over the LA Lakers. James had the same sentiments back when they first started playing with each other.
Now it has become a reality as the Lakers offered Davis a three-year contract extension worth $186 million which will start come the 2025-26 season. By that time, James could've already retired considering how his contract expires after the 2024-25 season.
What can be expected of LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the 2023-24 season?
LeBron James and Anthony Davis have arguably been the LA Lakers' best one-two-punch since the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal era. James and Davis have notched a title back in 2020 bringing the Lakers back to their championship glory. While the duo never followed up on another trophy, that doesn't mean it's no longer possible for them to bring home the gold.
Last season, despite having a rocky start, the Lakers managed to punch a ticket to the NBA playoffs and slithered their way through the Western Conference finals. Unfortunately, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets proved to be a worthy matchup for LA and were sent back home after getting swept in their series.
Their exit may have been embarrassing, but to make a deep playoff run despite the odds stacked against them, we can say they did a spectacular job.
However, it appears the Lakers organization has learned from their past mistakes and has fully invested in younger talents to help them pursue another title. With that said, LeBron James and Anthony Davis should have a relatively easier time leading their team to victory. They now have more options to rely on and they can now slow down a bit to not risk any potential injuries.