By Martin Rogers
Right around the time when Anthony Davis’ protracted exit from New Orleans was still in its infancy, when it was just starting to get really awkward and occasionally weird, the superstar center retreated a little bit further into his shell.
Davis is not the loudest or most frequent of talkers at the best of times. He prefers to voice himself with actions and intentions, and after making it clear he wished to leave the Pelicans – presumably, and ultimately – to join the Los Angeles Lakers, the incessant scrutiny was wearing on him.
His minutes were being consciously limited by head coach Alvin Gentry, and it was tense in the locker room after Davis requested a trade. After a game at the Staples Center against the Lakers in February of last year, Davis sat slumped and weary, giving away nothing as he spoke to the media.
Until, that is, he was asked about a comment he’d made a few months prior, all about his goals and ambitions and where he saw himself in the hierarchy of the NBA’s finest players.
"I feel I am there," he told me. "I am there. In my mind that hasn’t changed."
"You’re one of the best?" I asked him, seeking clarity.
"The best player in the league," he emphasized, albeit in tones quiet enough that you had to crane your neck to hear them.
That’s the thing about Davis that makes him somewhat unique in arguably sports' most colorful, unapologetic and outspoken league. He doesn’t strut and pose and walk around in a way that suggests he is one of basketball’s best.
But he believes he is, which is far more important than all the rest of it. He believed it when he said it in the summer of 2018. He believed it when he sat in the Staples Center locker room that night 19 months ago, just down the corridor from his then-future and now-current teammate LeBron James. And, right now, there is a strong argument to say that he is playing like it.
Davis’ game-winning 3-point shot against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night was an ice cold dagger that surely ripped the heart out of any chance the Nuggets had of getting back into the Western Conference finals. The shot gave the Lakers a 2-0 advantage and as much momentum as their rival has frustration.
There is more to it than that though. Davis is a force for which there is no present solution and he is figuring out how to co-exist most effectively with James. As a tandem, they are beginning to look unstoppable. FOX Bet has the Lakers listed as heavy favorites to win this year’s NBA title at -400.
"If the Lakers go on to win the championship we’ll look back at this shot as the official coming out party for Anthony Davis," FOX Sports NBA analyst Chris Broussard said about the Game 2 stunner. "He goes from being a current great player to an all-time great player."
Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets All-Star big man, was a problem that neither the Utah Jazz nor the Los Angeles Clippers could fix, but Davis is able to impose his will, embrace the battle, and still have something special left in the tank.
James voiced his annoyance earlier this week that he received no more than 16 of the 101 votes for MVP compared to the 85 of runaway winner Giannis Antetokounmpo. At least part of that situation was likely because of the credit given to Davis for making things easier for him. In essence, by handpicking Davis as the man he wanted to join him in Tinseltown, James kind of brought it upon himself. An NBA championship would surely ease any of that lingering angst.
In a year’s time, the roles might be reversed, because these playoffs have given us a glimpse of what happens when Davis takes the lead in terms of assertive control. The Lakers, presumably, are enjoying how that looks.
"I’m happy to be here with him to give him any advice or for him to lean on me," James told reporters. "To be completely honest, in the second half, I leaned on him and he brought us home."
Davis is averaging 28.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in the playoffs, and you can sense he is capable of dominating games even more. If the Lakers are going to complete this bubble journey in the way they want to, they will be leaning on Davis again.
In terms of being the ultimate basketball alpha, James fits that role perfectly – walking the walk, speaking with passion, intensity, and everything that screams "superstar."
Davis does things his own way, but his way is working tremendously right now. He is making one heck of a noise, with his actions, not words.
