On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers will make their first visit to Louisiana this season to face the New Orleans Pelicans.
That means that Anthony Davis will return to the city that he called home for the first seven years of his NBA career.
Many believe that he’ll get booed during the game due to the fact that he demanded a trade last season, but according to Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times, plenty of fans in New Orleans don’t think he will.
The reasons seem a little more complicated than the fact that the Pelicans were going nowhere fast with Anthony.
“New Orleans is well-established as a Saints town,” Ganguli wrote. “The polar opposite of Los Angeles, where the Lakers dwarf the Rams, most native New Orleanians care more about the Saints than most things in their lives … including the Pelicans when they remember to do so. The Pelicans’ small but passionate fan base sometimes finds itself outnumbered in their own arena.
“It’s a dynamic that created complicated feelings last season when Anthony Davis demanded a trade in the middle of his seventh season with the organization. On Wednesday he’ll return to New Orleans for the first time since the Pelicans traded him to the Lakers. He is expecting to be booed, but whether he will be is questionable. Not every Pelicans fan is still angry with him. Those that are might have to fight to have their voices heard.
“’I don’t think AD’s gonna get booed like people are saying because it’s gonna be hella Lakers fans in there,’ said Josh Pichon, a Pelicans fans and New Orleans native. ‘He was a spectacular talent so I appreciated being able to watch him the years he was here. I’m not going to boo him. I booed him last season, so I got that out of the way. I’m good. To be honest, I like the trade too.’”
Another factor that may mitigate the negative vibes towards Anthony in New Orleans is the fact that the trade that sent him to Los Angeles is one of the rare deals that has benefited both teams.
The Pelicans netted Brandon Ingram, who’s averaging 26.1 points a game on 50.6 percent field goal shooting and 45.9 percent 3-point shooting this season, in that deal.
New Orleans also acquired the talented but injury-prone Lonzo Ball and dependable role player Josh Hart in return for Davis, as well as multiple first-round draft picks.
Once first overall pick Zion Williamson recovers from his knee injury and makes his season debut, the Pelicans should have a bright future.
