Anthony Davis is entering an NBA season where he’ll try to show he’s ready to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the promised land. Although the team created a Big 3 when they traded for Russell Westbrook and assembled the most talented team in the league, the pressure is huge on AD.
The Brow knows he’s the future of the franchise, and he must start showing that this campaign. However, not everybody is happy with AD, given his inability to remain healthy and in shape, especially when he’s playing alongside LeBron James, the prime example of durability in the league.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith recently called out Davis for his off-season conditioning, comparing AD to an older LeBron James and how The King takes care of his body every year.
“How could you have a teammate like LeBron, that just delivered you your first title ever… and I’m not insulting Anthony Davis, I’m asking a question because it’s something I would ask him to his face… If you didn’t do all that you could physically to have yourself in peak condition, how could you allow that to happen to you when you know you’re playing with a champion?” Smith asked on Thursday’s episode of First Take. “… How could you have that slippage? So it’s great that Russell Westbrook is [in Los Angeles].”
“I know LeBron is a freak of nature. But, I would be pretty embarrassed if a dude that is older than me is consistently, consistently, consistently in better shape than me, when we have the same profession. That would bother me,” Smith said of Davis.
.@stephenasmith has an issue with some of the things he's heard about Anthony Davis' off-season conditioning.
"I would be pretty embarrassed if a dude that is older than me is consistently, consistently, consistently in better shape than me." pic.twitter.com/gZQk0ZcqBY
— First Take (@FirstTake) September 30, 2021
LeBron has come this way by taking care of his body every season. The 4x NBA champion is still one of the best players in the world thanks to that. Smith just wants AD to follow in James’ footsteps if he wants to lead the Lakers to more championships in the future.
The Brow has heard all the noise since last season. That must have fueled him this offseason, and he’ll be ready to unleash his anger once the new campaign starts for the purple and gold.
