Getty Image / Anthony Davis
John Calipari knows a thing or two about getting the most out of Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis. The now-Arkansas head coach led a freshman Anthony Davis to National Player of the Year status and a national championship at Kentucky in 2011-2012.
Davis has been second-fiddle to LeBron James in Los Angeles since coming over in 2019. But, Coach Cal thinks that maybe it’s time for Anthony Davis to be the focal point of a team once again as he enters his late prime.
John Calipari was on the Jim Rome Show and had this to say.
Anthony Davis is an “unbelievable teammate,” but @CoachCalArk wants to see him be the centerpiece once again pic.twitter.com/hIudQedHrd
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) June 19, 2024
(He’s) An unbelievable teammate who will step back so others can step up. He did it for me when I coached. When he was at Kentucky, he stepped back so other guys could step up. You ready for this? Until it was time to win the national title. And then he went on a tear. And it was his show.
I would like him to be the center of attention. Because I think he’s a future Hall of Famer. I do, all that he’s done. You know, when he went to the Pelicans, he led them to the playoffs. And that wasn’t enough for him. Like, he wants to win championships, they lose, the last game when they’re done. He’s not a happy camper.
Unfortunately for Coach Cal, as long as LeBron James, who is expected to return to the Lakers next year, remains a teammate of Anthony Davis and keeps playing at a high level, Anthony Davis is going to have to play second fiddle. At best, he can be a 1B, which is what he’s been like in recent years. But, as long as LeBron is a teammate, it will never be “his team”.
Make no mistake, Anthony Davis could be the best player on a really good team. The last two years, he’s combined averaged over 25 points and 12 rebounds per game while shooting over 55% from the field. He’s still one of the game’s best rim protectors and was first-team all-defense this year. He stayed really healthy this year, too, playing in 76 of the 82 regular season games.
It seems like he takes a lot of flak on social media from pundits that he isn’t doing enough to help LeBron James and the Lakers at times. But, that seems to be pretty inaccurate. Maybe, John Calipari is right!