Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis is likely on the verge of the most important season so far in his career.
In a recent article, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin broke down all the changes that Davis has undergone since he requested a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans in the middle of last season.
While the Lakers failed to trade for Davis during the 2018-19 season, they finally got it done in an offseason blockbuster deal.
Now that he’s finally in L.A., Davis will have to deal with the pressure that comes with being a star on one of the NBA’s most storied franchises.
That pressure is something that he welcomes.
“I think a lot of stuff that I did in New Orleans, people saw and heard about,” Davis said. “But then again, people said, ‘Well, it was New Orleans.’ I think the big question is, ‘All right, let’s see what he can do on a big stage.’ Obviously the playoffs are the playoffs, but, ‘Let’s see what he does on 35 [national] TV games now.’
“Nobody was really waking up [for a game] in New Orleans. Every game now is like, ‘All right, if we beat the Lakers [we accomplished something].’ [With the Pelicans] we could lose games and people were like, ‘OK, well no one expected them to win this game,’ or whatever. Now, every night you have to show up. If not, the next day, here comes your name through the tabloids.”
Davis’ mentality is exactly what it takes to succeed in Los Angeles. Talent is just part of the equation, it’s also crucial to be able to deal with the emotional highs and lows.
If the Lakers start out the 2019-20 season on the right foot, Davis will certainly be considered one of the primary reasons. If they struggle out of the gate, it likely won’t be long before the first article questioning the value of the All-Star big man is published.
Davis is ready to play under the microscope. Hopefully his game looks even more impressive up close.
