When Anthony Davis requested a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans in order to join LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, fans in the city of quickly turned on him.
They quickly forgot about the 6.5 seasons of All-NBA basketball Davis gave them and could only muster up angst against him for wanting out.
Now that the trade is done and the 2019-20 NBA season is underway, Davis will have to face the Pelicans once again when the Lakers head to New Orleans on Nov. 27 as a part of a four-game road trip.
Davis had many things to say about his departure and return when the Lakers play the Pelicans. He spoke in depth about what he regrets and doesn’t regret about that time, whether or not he’ll get a video tribute, and asking James for advice about returning to a city after leaving, via Shams Charania of Stadium:
Lakers star Anthony Davis (@AntDavis23) sits down for @Stadium video interview: Lessons from LeBron — love toward NOLA and emotional return game Nov. 27 — his biggest regret with Pelicans exit — when he almost quit basketball — Chicago legacy and more. pic.twitter.com/LJM45AgsOA
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 13, 2019
Davis touched on a number of topics regarding his anticipated return to New Orleans, but his focus still appears to be that it’s just another game he needs to win for his team.
While it’s likely he’ll get booed during his introduction and every time he touches the ball, Davis still knows all the good he did for the city and he doesn’t seem to hold it against the fans for booing.
It’s also interesting to see that Davis asked James for advice as his teammate dealt with this similar thing after returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the first time. This not only shows the trust they have in one another, but just another way James can help to mentor Davis throughout this season.
Davis will still go out there and give another great performance as he’s been doing all season, but this game will clearly mean a bit more to him — perhaps enough for Lakers fans to see another level of his game.