In an appearance on Mavs TV, veteran big man Anthony Davis shed some light on his experience as LeBron James‘ co-star. On the subject of his switch to No. 3 in 2019. Davis revealed that James had tried to offer him his signature number before he politely declined.
“When I got to L.A., LeBron wanted to give me 23 but I was like ‘I don’t wanna take your number.’ And then it was a thing where we can’t switch it again. The Nike deal with the teams made it so you can’t change it too late. You have until a certain date to change your number. So we play my first year and I’m like ‘I don’t know what number to go to.’ So I’m thinking about a number and I’m like why not go to my original number? You can go back to 3.”
Davis donned 23 in college at Duke and throughout his Pelicans tenure, when he first emerged as an elite All-Star big man. In 2019, he was traded to the Lakers for Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and three first-round picks. AD wore No. 3 to start his Lakers tenure and he kept it even after LeBron James changed to No. 6.
“Then that second year, he went to 6 and he asked if I wanted 23. And I was like ‘Nah I think I want to stay with 3. I’m gonna go back to where it all started.'”
Davis did actually try to change back to 23 but it was already too late to get the change approved by Nike. By the time he was able to change his number, he had already decided to keep No. 3.
It might seem like a small gesture, but LeBron’s willingness to give over his jersey number is a major sign of respect. It’s a sign that James is a team player who does whatever he can to make his teammates happy and comfortable on the court.
In return, those who play with the King often feel empowered and motivated to perform at their absolute best. For the LeBron and Davis duo, the results speak for themselves. In five and a half seasons together, they won one NBA championship and made a run to the West Finals in 2023.
In 312 games with the Purple and Gold, Davis averaged 24.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game on 53.2% shooting. His steady presence in the frontcourt made the Lakers a consistent threat and his activity around the rim was invaluable for years.
Today, Davis is no longer a Laker but he’s hoping that what he learned under LeBron James will translate into an effective leadership role for the Mavericks. As the captain of his team, Davis is facing similar challenges he did with the Pelicans for the first seven years of his career.
The difference now is that Davis is a champion who has learned how to win from one of the best players in the game. This season, his return is up in the air but, at 31 years old, AD still has time to pull off something special.
Meanwhile, LeBron James will continue to set the example in Los Angeles. After the Davis trade, he’s been a model teammate for Luka Doncic and the Lakers have been a better team for it.
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