LeBron James claims Anthony Davis' No.3 jersey to be retired by Lakers

In Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors, Anthony Davis had one of his best playoff performances as a Laker. In 43 minutes of action, he posted a stat line of 30 points, 23 rebounds, five assists and four blocks.

After missing close to 30 games in the regular season, Anthony Davis has been on a dominant run in the postseason. In seven games, he is averaging 22.1 points, 15 rebounds and an impressive 4.3 blocks per game.

Following his dominant showing against the Warriors, LeBron James had a lot of great things to say about his All-Star teammate. He feels that when Davis' career is over, his jersey number will be hanging in the rafters of the LA Lakers' arena.

“That’s why their jerseys are in the rafters. AD will be up there when he’s done playing. He continues to show why he’s one of the best players in this league.”

Michael Scotto

@MikeAScotto

LeBron James on Anthony Davis joining Shaq, Elgin Baylor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain in Lakers history: “That’s why their jerseys are in the rafters. AD will be up there when he’s done playing. He continues to show why he’s one of the best players in this league.”

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LeBron James on Anthony Davis joining Shaq, Elgin Baylor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain in Lakers history: “That’s why their jerseys are in the rafters. AD will be up there when he’s done playing. He continues to show why he’s one of the best players in this league.” https://t.co/LtJp319bQK

Having a jersey retired means a lot, especially for a team like the Lakers. Throughout NBA history, some of the greatest players ever are in their rafters. A short list lincludes the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

Should Anthony Davis have his jersey retired by the Lakers when his career is over?

For a team like the LA Lakers, a player needs to do a lot to have their number retired. Anthony Davis has been impactful, but a case could be made as to why his No. 3 will never make it up.

One thing that Davis has going for him is that he helped deliver the franchise a championship. During the NBA bubble, he and LeBron James did everything they needed to make sure that the Lakers were the last team standing.

Outside of the title, this is where things start to go downhill for Davis. While his numbers are good, it's his availability that hurts him.

Dating back to the 2020-21 season, Davis has dealt with his fair share of injuries. This has caused him to be on the sidelines for extended periods of time. In his four seasons with LA, Davis has only played in more than 60 games once. He came close this year, but still fell just short with 56.

Davis is a dominant two-way force who has been crucial for the Lakers when he's on the court. That being said, his constant missed time might hurt him when it comes to getting his jersey retired.

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