“When I’m healthy, I’m a mean motherf**ker” - Anthony Davis confident for next year despite enduring another injury-riddled season with LA Lakers
LA Lakers star Anthony Davis endured a second consecutive injury-riddled season. The 2020 NBA champion has played 40 games for the Purple and Gold this season and is likely to sit out their last two matches as well.
It will be the second time in a row that he has played 50% or fewer matches in a season after appearing in only 36 of 72 possible games in the 2020-21 campaign.
Davis suffered two injuries this year that forced him to be out for a combined three months. His absence proved to be one of the factors in the LA Lakers not being able to make a mark this season and failing to achieve a playoff qualification.
Subsequently, there have been suggestions by several analysts that LA should end up trading Davis because of his injury struggles.
However, in a recent interview with ESPN, Anthony Davis revealed that he has received no indication of any possible trade scenarios. He believes it's a decision that's going to be taken by the LA Lakers.
""I mean, my job is to go out and play basketball. Obviously I love it in L.A. If that's something that they're considering, then we'll have a conversation about it," said Davis. "I don't know what they're talking about, what's the plan. I mean, I don't think they're planning on doing anything [with me]. I don't know, man. F---, I don't know."
Anthony Davis also spoke about his injuries this year and hinted that he was unlucky this time as both times he suffered knocks, and it wasn't more of an internal issue with his body not being able to take the load. Here's what he said regarding this:
"When I'm healthy, I'm a motherf**ker. But I got to stay healthy. Unfortunately it was two injuries I couldn't control this year but I'll be back at it next year and see what happens. I had no injuries this year where it was, 'Damn, that's AD's fault. Someone falls into my leg, sprains my MCL. The same exact thing [Kevin Durant] had."
New story: With the Lakers eliminated from play-in contention, Anthony Davis spoke to ESPN about hearing his name attached to trade speculation and his injury reputation. "When I'm healthy, I'm a motherf---er," he said. "But I got to stay healthy" es.pn/3r8qIty
LA Lakers star Anthony Davis says his training methods were "top-tier."
There was plenty of buzz surrounding Anthony Davis returning healthy for the LA Lakers this season. There were rumors about him training well enough to be able to play as the starting center for LA this year to accommodate Russell Westbrook and maintain the spacing.
Davis did look healthier and more confident about having a solid year, just like he did in his first season in Hollywood when he helped the team win a title, playing 62 of 71 games in a shortened season because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Here's what he said when asked if he is considering changing his training methods with a long offseason ahead of him:
"No, to be honest, my training methods were top tier. I can't control stepping on someone's foot and I can't control someone falling into my leg. It's not like I'm out of shape and I f---ing did some crazy s--- or it was anything I could control."
Anthony Davis today:
28 Points
9 Rebounds
8 Assists
3 Blocks
2 Steals https://t.co/2SbGxssass
The LA Lakers and Anthony Davis don't look like they will be parting ways just yet. Anthony Davis is at his peak right now and has shown on countless occasions the impact he can have on both ends of the floor. If he can manage to stay healthy throughout the course of the next season, the Lakers may be back in the running for the championship again.