LeBron James on Picking Anthony Davis for All-Star Squad: ‘I Don’t Even Like Him’

On Thursday night, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 128-113, giving L.A. a 36-9 record and 3-1 mark on its current five-game road trip.

LeBron James was named prior to tipoff as one of the captains in the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. Just after the game, he was asked if he would choose fellow Laker Anthony Davis as one of his teammates for the annual midseason classic.

It was suggested to the three-time NBA champ that choosing Davis would be a “no-brainer,” and James then joked that maybe it wouldn’t be.

“Yeah, it is a brainer. I don’t have to pick him. I don’t even like him,” said James.

Davis responded seemingly in jest.

“I’m not sure what he’s thinking,” Davis said. “He hasn’t talked about it. So, probably won’t take me. I’ve probably played with him enough this year, so he probably won’t.”

Then Davis changed his mind.

“But we’ve been winning, so he probably will,” said Davis. “That’s a good question for him when you ask him over there.”

By consensus, James and Davis are considered the best duo in pro basketball right now. While James is averaging 25.2 points and a league-high 10.8 assists a game this season, Davis is putting up 26.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.

Last season, James was also one of the captains for the All-Star Game, and he chose Davis, then with the New Orleans Pelicans, to be on his squad.

This year’s midseason classic, which will be held in Chicago, Ill., will be James’ 16th All-Star appearance. That will tie him with Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan for the third-most in NBA history, putting James behind only Kobe Bryant (18) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (19).