Playing for a storied franchise such as the Los Angeles Lakers comes with sky-high expectations, and so does playing alongside someone like star forward LeBron James.
Star big man Anthony Davis received his fair share of flak during his tenure in Los Angeles, whether it was because he underperformed on occasion or was in and out of the lineup with injuries.
Former NBA player Rashad McCants thinks that Davis is now “free” in light of getting traded away from the Lakers. Davis is now a member of the Dallas Mavericks alongside star guard Kyrie Irving.
“Time for me to win one and get credit. Kyrie here I come.”
Rashad McCants says Anthony Davis is free now that he has left LeBron and the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/MgGzhAEvgx
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) February 5, 2025
“For Anthony Davis, he should not feel anything but grateful,” McCants said of Davis departing the Lakers. “Now you don’t get to be blamed no more. You don’t have to drive the car and have the motherf—– beside you keep driving for you. … Oh, he’s free. ‘I helped you pad your stats for four years, big dog. Say thank you. You’re welcome. Now, time for me to go win one and get credit. Kyrie, here I come.'”
Irving admitted that he and Davis dreamed of teaming up on the Boston Celtics in the past when the former was still amid his stint in Boston. According to the guard, the vision was to add scoring machine Kevin Durant and Davis to the roster to pair with Irving all while keeping a young Jayson Tatum in the fold. But according to Irving, those rumors splintered Boston’s locker room.
Years after that hypothetical team didn’t come to fruition, Irving and Davis will have a chance to share the floor for the first time as NBA teammates in the near future.
Only a few hours ago, it seemed as if Davis and Irving might play together as soon as the team’s Thursday night game against the defending champion Celtics. Davis was listed as questionable to play in the rematch of the 2024 NBA Finals but was recently ruled out for the contest.
Davis’ next opportunity to make his Mavericks debut will come when Dallas takes on another one of the best teams in the league this season in the Houston Rockets on Saturday.
Despite a four-game losing streak, Houston still owns the third-best record of any team in the West at 32-18 and is far ahead of Dallas in the standings right now. The Mavericks are just the No. 8 seed in the conference and are just a game over .500.
