It’s not a secret that current players grew up idolizing former legends, molding their games to them, and wishing to one day dominate the NBA like those who came before them.
We often see analysts comparing younger players to former greats of this sport: “Anthony Edwards shows shades of Dwyane Wade,” or “Joel Embiid has Hakeem Olajuwon’s footwork,” are phrases that are often heard around this community.
That’s why a fan wanted to know who inspired Anthony Davis to become such a dominant two-way player, so he reached out to the Los Angeles Lakers star when he conducted a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) session last night:
“Hey AD! Who’s a player that you modeled your game after, particularly when it comes to your versatility both offensively and defensively?” A fan asked.
“A guy I’ve looked up to a lot was Kevin Garnett. I always wanted to be like him, play both sides, be a fierce competitor. He was in the later part of his career when I came into the league but I always looked forward to playing against him too,” Davis replied.
You can see clear shades of Garnett’s game in Anthony Davis, that’s for sure. They’re both two of the few players in NBA history that could be legit candidates for both Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player night in and night out.
Maybe, Garnett’s competitive nature and drive were bigger than Davis’s, and so was his defensive impact on his prime. Then again, Anthony Davis is a far superior scorer to The Big Ticket, and that’s not even close.
At the end of the day, it’s always nice to see how young stars try to replicate the success other legends had, and more than that, how they try to be even better than those who made this league so great.
