Lakers’ Anthony Davis Opens Up: ‘I Didn’t Want to Play…’

Anthony Davis is sitting at the top of the NBA and he is playing the best basketball with the Los Angeles Lakers. The front office did the impossible to pair AD with LeBron James. Great Anthony Davis spent a big portion of his career with the New Orleans Pelicans, and now he opens up about his time with the team.

AD wanted out. Believe it or not, he wanted to leave the Pelicans. He wanted to leave in the 2018-19 NBA season. However, they made him stay. It was a tough year for the big man and he is pretty honest about these struggles.

“I didn’t want to go to practice, I didn’t want to play,” AD said. “There was just a lot going on because I didn’t have that joy with me anymore. Getting into it with the fans, the media, it was just a lot. I wasn’t in a great frame of mind — a great space for me to be joyful.

“Every day was like, ‘Ugh, here’s another day. I can’t wait until the season is over.’ Things like that. You’d see people say, ‘AD, you traitor!’ and I’d think, ‘What? You don’t understand what I’m going through.’ It was all wearing down on me at one time, but I had a great team around me, from my agency to my family to my friends, ‘Nah, forget what they’re saying. You’re doing what’s best for you and your family.’”

Anthony Davis opens up about his struggles

The big man had to wait until the end of the year to join the Lakers. His trade worked well for both him and the Pelicans.

Davis inked a five-year contract extension with the Lakers. The Pelicans got Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Hard in the trade. Ingram became an All-Star since joining the Pelicans. Ball and Hart are playing some serious game, too.

Los Angeles can’t complain about the trade, too. AD has helped the team win the title inside the Orlando bubble. He is one of the greatest basketball players in the league.

Some fans may be worried about Davis’ inconsistency. He had a slow start to the regular season. But, the big man was impressive against the Chicago Bulls. AD is averaging 21.8 points per game. In the 2019-20 NBA season, Davis was averaging 26.1 points per game.