Avery Bradley Says He Joined Lakers for Chance to Play With ‘Best Player in the World’

By Jonathan Sherman
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Updated: July 17, 2019

LeBron James, Avery Bradley, and Anthony Davis

The Los Angeles Lakers missed out on adding another star player to suit up alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but those two stars were more than enough to attract some incredibly valuable veteran players.

One of those players is shooting guard Avery Bradley, who was signed by the Lakers with their $4.72 million exception.

While Bradley has endured two somewhat disappointing seasons in a row, he was at one point considered to be one of the best defensive guards in the NBA. That period of his career just so happened to be when he was lining up alongside fellow Lakers guard Rajon Rondo when the two were members of the Boston Celtics.

Rondo’s presence in L.A. helped convince Bradley to sign with the Lakers this offseason, but it was both James and Davis who made the move truly attractive to him.

“To me, LeBron’s the best player in the world and Anthony Davis is the best player at his position, going up against those guys, that’s always been a lot of good battles,” Bradley said. “I knew if I ever had the opportunity to play with one of those guys I would definitely think about it, and now that the opportunity presented itself I didn’t hesitate.”

While many have criticized the Lakers for a lackluster offseason in which they failed to attract top-flight free agents, the depth that the Lakers now enjoy may end being more valuable in the long run.

With James likely ending the end of his prime years, and Davis looking to avoid injury, it is likely that the Lakers’ depth will play major minutes this season and beyond.

That will give Bradley ample opportunity to prove that he is still an incredibly effective player in this league. Hopefully, that offers him a chance to play with the two stars he respects so much.