Shaquille O'Neal believes Anthony Davis comparisons are irrational: "I'm giving him the same information that Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] gave me"
Anthony Davis has been dominant this season, averaging 27.7 points, 12.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.2 blocks per game.
The LA Lakers star is shooting 59.6% from the field, 31.0% from 3-point range, and 83.2% from the free-throw line. Despite his MVP-level play, NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal recently shared his thoughts on why comparing himself and Davis is irrational.
Speaking to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, the four-time NBA champion stated:
"Anthony Davis is not a big man, he's a power forward. Let's just put combined big man and power forward, we can have this argument all day, every day. He's playing great. Not being critical of him, I'm giving him the same information that Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] gave me."
While Davis has exclusively played in the center position this season, he reportedly prefers the power forward position, as he has for most of his career. O'Neal continued to discuss Davis' play, adding:
"He went to LA the first year, did what he supposed to do. They won a championship and when you live in LA, that's what we expect. We expect championships... Hopefully, they make the playoffs, and they make a run for it, but I'm an Anthony Davis fan and I will continue to stay on him."
Although Davis has performed at an elite level, the LA Lakers have struggled to an 11-15 record. However, all hope is not lost, as the Lakers are just three and a half games behind the fifth seed in the Western Conference.
Watch Anthony Davis' highlights from his historic night below:
Shaquille O'Neal on Anthony Davis' play
During the same interview with Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, Shaquille O'Neal offered Anthony Davis huge praise. The LA Lakers legend stated:
"He's been dominant and I wish I could say, 'AD for MVP', but people are going to be like, 'oh, he doesn't have a winning record' and all that stuff, but no power forward is playing the way AD is playing right now."
Over his past eleven contests, excluding one in which he left early due to illness, Davis is averaging 34.8 points, 15.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.6 blocks per game.
More impressively, Davis has shot 65.2% from the field, 38.5% from the 3-point range, and 88.1% from the free-throw line over that stretch. If the Lakers can turn things around, the eight-time All-Star will likely be an MVP candidate.
Watch AD score a season-high 55 points below: