Anthony Davis has only played one game for the Dallas Mavericks since being traded for Luka Doncic, but it was quite a special performance. Davis dazzled on his Mavericks debut against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 8 and reflected on that night in a sit-down interview with Dana Larson.
“I’m always nervous before every game,” Davis said. “Since I started playing basketball, it’s just a thing. But once we start playing, all the nerves go away, and I just do what I do. But this specific game, it went all the way until they actually said my name for introductions.
“When I got introduced and the crowd went crazy, ‘Waah,’ and I saw the No. 3 jerseys in the crowd, I was like, ‘Okay.’ And then I just fed off the energy from the crowd,” Davis continued. “It was something special, and it’s something I think about all the time because I can just see the electricity in the crowd. The guys were energized and pumped up, and I was definitely excited about it.”
Davis fed off of all that energy to record 26 points (10-18 FG), 16 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks in 31 minutes. The 10-time All-Star had 14 points in the first quarter alone and famously told Mavericks fans, “I’m here,” during that outburst. Davis spoke at that moment in this interview as well.
“I know the city was down because of the Luka trade, and, at the same time, I know who I am as a player,” Davis stated. “I’m top 75 of all time. I just wanted to let the Dallas fans [know]. I’m like, ‘I’m here, I got y’all. I’m here now.’ I know you lost a superstar in Luka, but you also gained a superstar in myself.”
Davis brought some much-needed joy to Mavericks fans, but they weren’t smiling for too long. The 31-year-old suffered an adductor injury in the third quarter which sucked the life out of the crowd. Davis provided a positive update after the game to ease the fans’ fears, but it was later revealed that he’d be sidelined indefinitely.
Davis’ injury would, unfortunately, be a sign of things to come for the Mavericks. They are now in the midst of an injury crisis, with Kyrie Irving the latest to go down with a torn ACL.
There is now talk of Davis being shut down for the season after Irving’s injury, and that could well be the right approach. The 32-32 Mavericks are not going to make much noise without Kyrie in the playoffs and should just look forward to 2025-26.
Anthony Davis Has Put The Shock From Getting Traded Behind Him
Just like the rest of the basketball world, Davis was shocked by the trade. He did not see that coming, and it wouldn’t have been easy to digest. Davis claims he is over that shock now, though, and is just looking forward to getting back on the court.
“The transition was pretty easy for me, but I think the shock factor is what kind of just hit me,” Davis said. “… But I’m over that now, and now it’s behind me and ready to just get back on the floor.”
It might be a while before we see him play for the Mavericks again, though. Davis also admitted he never thought the Los Angeles Lakers would trade him, considering how great of a player he is. He added that Doncic would have probably felt the same as well. Both men appear to have put the trade behind them now and are focused on helping their new teams.
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