Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis will be sidelined due to an injury, but LeBron James is not a stranger to being without star teammates due to injuries.
In previous years with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, James’ teammates have fallen to injuries.
“I had Chris Bosh go down in the first round of a playoff series,” James said. “I had Kyrie [Irving] go down with a kneecap injury. I had Kevin Love go down with a … torn shoulder. D-Wade (Dwyane Wade) went down before.”
Given his expertise in situations like these, James understands what he needs to do while Davis sits out.
“I’ve had some big guns before go down and you just have to rally around them, keep them upbeat,” James said. “But also the guys that are going to be in uniform in the lineup, they just need to step up their play.”
Davis is currently missing time with a strained right calf. A recent MRI showed that he did not rupture his Achilles tendon. The seven-time All-Star is averaging 22.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this season.
James, a 16-time All-Star, realizes how much Davis does for the team, so he expects the entire team to step up in his absence.
“We’re not expecting one person to try to pick up AD’s productivity,” James said. “Nobody is going to be able to do that, he just brings too much to the table. We all can do more. We all can collectively do more and that’s our job.”
The Lakers currently hold the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a 22-7 record.
