AD3: Anthony Davis joins Lakers with championship plans
EL SEGUNDO — Anthony Davis’ year of uncertainty finally felt finished when he stood in the Los Angeles Lakers’ training complex and proudly held up his new gold jersey while LeBron James looked on approvingly. After months of upheaval around his departure from New Orleans, the superstar forward is looking forward to years of success and stability on the West Coast.
Sure, Davis knows the Lakers are rarely stable, and championships are the only success this franchise understands. The sixtime All-Star can’t wait for the challenge of winning big in the Hollywood spotlight.
“The most difficult part for me was just not knowing,” Davis said Saturday. “When it was announced that I was being traded, I don’t want to say it was a relief, (but) it was something that I’d thought about for a long time. Obviously it was tough to leave the city I’d been playing in for seven years, but I think it was best for me.
“When I found out I’d been traded to the Lakers, I realized it was an unbelievable opportunity for me,” he added. “To be here with a wonderful organization, and then to be able to play alongside LeBron and the players that we have now ... to get the opportunity to do that and come here and play for an organization that’s all about winning, and winning championships, and that’s the only goal, I think that was the biggest thing for me.”
The Lakers formally acquired Davis this month in one of the biggest moves of the NBA’s tumultuous offseason, but this courtship has been happening for much longer. Davis became determined to leave New Orleans last season, and Los Angeles made an in-season run at Davis before eagerly blowing up its young core to get a second game-changing star to play alongside James.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka introduced Davis as “the most dominant young basketball player in the world.”
“There is no more complete basketball player in the game,” Pelinka added. “There is nothing he can’t do. He can shoot. He can make plays. He can defend 1 to 5. He can protect the rim. He can handle the ball. His dedication to his craft is unparalleled. To sit here next to him and think he’s going to be on our team and he’s going to be a pillar in this franchise for many years is just something we’re incredibly proud of.”
The Lakers gave up Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and a slew of draft picks to land Davis one year before he could become an unrestricted free agent.