Anthony Davis may have filled his ledger by marking a five-year, $190 million expansion with the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, however one of his colleagues presently needs him to fill his honors rack, as well.
“I’m expecting AD to go for the MVP,” Lakers forward Jared Dudley said on a videoconference call with correspondents Thursday. “I’m expecting him to set the tone. We know [LeBron James], his years playing this league, accolades he has, but AD doesn’t have some of the accolades. He has the talent, he has the determination. He’s the future and he’s the now.”
Davis, 27, completed 6th in MVP casting a ballot last season, his first with the Lakers. His best completion for the honor was third in 2017-18.
He’ll have rivalry in James, who completed second behind Giannis Antetokounmpo for the Maurice Podoloff Trophy last season. James likewise marked an agreement augmentation with the Lakers this week, a two-year, $85 million arrangement that will keep him in L.A. through 2022-23.
“We’re led by the best player in the world, and then the second-best player in the world,” Markieff Morris said Thursday, not distinguishing who was best between Davis and James. “Or 1A and 1B, however you want to do it.”
Morris said he re-endorsed with the Lakers looking for another prize: the Larry O’Brien, introduced to the alliance champion. Any individual honor that goes along for the Lakers in 2020-21 would be welcome, obviously, yet the gathering’s emphasis is on rehashing.
“Shoot, we have LeBron James,” Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said Thursday. “His mindset and the way he approaches the game, it’s just going to rub off on everybody else. I know he’s coming back ready to compete. Especially for that second championship, and he’s going to let us know from the jump what time it is. As our leader, you got to respect that. For me, I respect that as a young guy looking up to him.”
“So, that man, LeBron James, I feel like he’s going to keep it as simple as possible. He’s going to make it simple. He’s our leader and all we got to do is be ready. Be mentally ready and be ready to play.”
Davis, in his first remarks since marking the augmentation Thursday, revealed to Spectrum SportsNet that the title is now at the forefront of his thoughts, too.
“I’m very motivated, I want to do it again,” Davis said. “When we won the Western Conference finals, Bron said, ‘Just wait until you win a championship and you hold that trophy, your love for winning just grows.’ And ever since holding that trophy, I just want to do it again.
“You want to do hold that trophy over and over and over. You get addicted to winning. So I want that feeling again. I want to hold that Larry O’Brien Trophy again and become a meme where I’m crying and people are using it for everything. Those are good memes.”
Grant is an author and public speaker. He graduated with a dual degree in Business Administration and Creative Writing. He has worked as a marketing manager for tech firm.He has written over 250 extensive articles for different news sources.
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