"That man was ready to leave LA"- Lakers fans react to Anthony Davis' chilled out phase as pic with LeBron James surfaces
Anthony Davis has had a tough start to his Dallas Mavericks career. After an unreal first game against the Houston Rockets, Davis suffered a left adductor strain and has yet to play since. On Tuesday night, Davis's new team, the Mavericks, faced his old team, the Los Angeles Lakers, without Davis in the lineup due to injury. The Lakers went on to win the game 107-99.
The man traded for Davis, Luka Doncic registered a triple-double of 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists, his first triple-double as a Laker. Meanwhile, Davis is scheduled to be reevaluated next week for his groin injury but is progressing well.
After the game, a picture of Davis and former teammate LeBron James meeting up after the game caused some fans to speculate whether he was happy about the trade or not:
"AD was traded and hasn't been fazed once... that man was ready to leave LA" one fan posted
"Didn't it come out that he was considering trying to get out this summer? I feel like that surfaced in the midst of the craziness and everyone just overlooked it" another fan shared
"I think he saw LeBron was near the end and the entire city of LA would expect him to lead. That's too much pressure. Much easier at 32 to just collect a paycheque and just go to Dallas and chill. My mans got w ring and hall of fame secured." another fan said
"Sometimes the lights are too bright." a fan commented
Some Lakers fans even speculated that Davis may return to LA one day:
"Nahh AD ready to go back to LA, Bron taking a paycut to sing him" a fan posted
"Or he knows he's coming back" another fan shared
"He's coming back" another fan said
Either way, Anthony Davis will be working hard for now to make a return for the Mavericks and help them make a run in the playoffs.
LeBron James reacts to Lakers tribute for Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis returned to Los Angeles and Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night. It was the first time since being traded to the Mavericks that Davis had stepped into the building as a visitor. Although the 31-year-old sat out the game due to injury, the Lakers still prepared a tribute video for him:
Lakers fans gave Davis a standing ovation and warm welcome back to LA. Davis' former teammate LeBron James shared his thoughts on the tribute after the game:
"One of my best friends, it was great to see him get that recognition and get that moment."
James and Davis have remained friends after the trade and will continue to do so in the future. Hopefully, the next time the Mavericks and Lakers meet, Anthony Davis will be healthy and will be able to see him go head-to-head against James for the first time in over five years.