LeBron James and Anthony Davis appear to be on the same wavelength, and it has fans talking.
Within minutes of each other, the former Lakers teammates posted the same quote to their Instagram stories: “Becoming the best version of yourself comes with a lot of goodbyes.” The identical posts immediately sparked speculation about the message’s meaning, with some fans wondering if it hinted at a personal change, a career decision, or simply a shared moment of reflection between the two stars.
Anthony Davis was the first one to post the quote, which seems to originate from an entrepreneur named David Sammon (X user “iamtheceo”). On its own, the message doesn’t seem terribly important, but when LeBron James followed it up with an identical post, it turned the situation into a whole new story.
Most NBA fans are familiar with the history between LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They spent nearly six seasons together with the Lakers, making multiple playoff runs that resulted in one NBA championship in 2020. While James has played with countless co-stars, he had a great relationship with Davis, matched only by their chemistry on the court.
So when they split up in February of 2025 (in the trade that brought Luka Doncic to the Lakers), it marked the end of a historic era for the Lakers, the NBA, and both of the superstars who were involved. Suddenly, the players had to go from teammates to competitors, and it’s been a massive adjustment.
In the weeks that have followed, LeBron and Davis have worked hard to make it seem like they’ve moved on from the historic move, but it’s hard to ignore their dual message here. In what was likely a coordinated move, they sent a message to the entire NBA community that they are of the same mind.
In this case, the NBA legends are making it clear that if you want to be the best version of yourself, you have to cut out all the useless people, those who hold you back and bring you down.
We don’t know which person (or people) James and Davis are referring to here, but it implies that both of them are about to cut (or have recently cut) people off who might’ve been connected to their everyday lives. Of course, there are also the more radical theories that it’s some kind of hint at a reunion between the former teammates.
As the Lakers pivot their focus to Luka Doncic, James has grown increasingly unhappy, and he’s had to actively fight the rumors surrounding his uncertain NBA future. Meanwhile, in Dallas, Anthony Davis is struggling to find the same success he had in Los Angeles. They could potentially reunite as teammates next season, when James is up for free agency. With both Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis as Mavericks, LeBron could say “goodbye” to the Lakers in order to compete alongside his former star teammates in Dallas.
Whether the posts were coordinated, coincidental, or simply a case of shared sentiment, they’ve reignited conversation about the bond between LeBron James and Anthony Davis. For two players whose legacies are forever linked by their championship run in Los Angeles, the message serves as a reminder that growth often comes with sacrifice. In the NBA, that can mean walking away from even the most successful partnerships.
