Anthony Davis Opens Up on Lakers Trade, Admiring LeBron James

Anthony Davis joined the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James, and he talked for the first time since being traded. Davis said he is excited to play alongside LeBron, adding that he is interested in building a legacy with one of the NBA’s most stories franchises.

The former Pelicans star talked to Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times. He didn’t missed the opportunity to express his admiration of LeBron.

“I always looked up to him. As a kid, [James] and Michael Jordan were the two guys I [admired],” Davis said. “I didn’t get a chance to watch Michael Jordan live, but I watched LeBron a lot after he entered the league, and he was the guy that I looked up to.”

Los Angeles traded Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, the No. 4 overall pick in June’s draft and a few future first-round picks for the star player.

Davis won’t take his $4 million trade kicker to help the team create enough cap space for Kawhi Leonard.

“Money comes and goes; your legacy is forever,” Davis said. “I think how you establish yourself in theNBA and what you do on and off the court is something that people will remember forever. Obviously, our money is public and people know what we make, but at the end of the day no one cares about how much money you make.

“Anthony Davis is not going to be a great basketball player because of the amount of money he makes, it’s going to be about what he achieved on the court and also off the court. That’s all part of my legacy, and I think that’s way more valuable than any monetary value.”

Davis requested to be traded less than five months ago. The first effort was a complete failure, but Davis made his way to LA.

“It was different. Being limited to 20 to 25 minutes was definitely different. Not being able to play in the fourth quarter and close out games was a little hard for me. I wanted to go out there and help the team win. I just want to play again. I was limited last season and now I’m looking forward to getting back on the floor and being productive next year.

“My season was cut short, or at least limited in terms of playing the game that I love. I’m excited to get back to it and get back into the swing of things. I started back working out, so that helps. I want to make this season better than the last.”