Despite two years having passed by, fans in New Orleans are not ready to forgive and forget about Anthony Davis. Davis was the cornerstone of the Pelicans franchise between 2012 and 2019.
But the lack of success or even playoff opportunities in NOLA led to dissatisfaction on Davis’ part. Eventually, Davis demanded a trade during the 2018-19 NBA season, eyeing a move to the Los Angeles Lakers to join LeBron James.
The trade request was initially ignored, but the Pelicans front office eventually acquiesced.
‘The Brow’ was traded to Los Angeles in the summer of 2019, with the Pels receiving Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and some draft considerations in exchange.
Fans were incredibly heartbroken and disappointed, as they expected Davis to stay with the franchise and eventually lead them to championship success.
Davis left shortly before the Pels drafted Zion Williamson, a pairing that fans wanted to see work together.
AD will have no regrets about the move, as he was able to win an NBA championship his first season with the Lakers. Davis was crucial for the Lakers during the 2020 title run, scoring big buckets at crucial times.
As a Laker, Davis is going to be the main star for the franchise when LeBron James eventually walks away. So the move was made with both the present and the future in mind.
As for the Pelicans, the blow of losing AD was softened by getting Ingram in return, who became an All-Star and won Most Improved Player in his first season.
Even after all of this, the Pelicans are not ready to let go of their anger toward Davis. Citizens in New Orleans were given a warning about hurricane Ida recently and were told to prepare.
In that preparation, fans emptied out stores in the city to keep snacks ready for their time at home. All the snacks flew off the shelves except one: packets of Ruffles with Anthony Davis’ face on it.
Davis got his own special flavor of Ruffles last year. And regardless of how good it might taste, fans in New Orleans have no interest in stocking the chips up. It seems like they would rather starve than eat Davis’ chips.
Perhaps as time goes on, New Orleans’ fans will eventually forgive AD for leaving the way he did. But for now, Davis is still Persona non Grata in NOLA.
