LeBron James calls Anthony Davis 'one of the elite players' in the NBA
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James praised New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, calling Davis "one of the elite players" in the league with the potential to "be a superstar," ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported Monday morning.
James's comments came before the Pelicans' (3-2) game against the Cavaliers (2-3) in Cleveland. Both were selected as No. 1 picks in the NBA draft - James by Cleveland in 2003 and Davis by New Orleans in 2012.
Commenting on Davis' potential for MVP honors this season, James complimented his development.
• Video: Pelicans' Anthony Davis hits game-winner to beat Spurs
"He just continues to get better and better...He's just a sponge," James said.
"You look at his numbers now, 22 (points) and 12 (rebounds) with blocks and steals, if continues to stay healthy like he's been doing and continues to keep growing, he can be a superstar in our league for sure."
Davis, a national champion at Kentucky, is averaging 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 4.4 blocks in 37 minutes per game through five games.
"He doesn't compare to anybody," James said of Davis. "Early on they said Marcus Camby, but Marcus Camby couldn't score like he can. He doesn't compare to anybody."
• Watch: Davis throws down one-handed alley-oop against Hornets
The Cavaliers tip off against the Pelicans at 7 pm EST tonight.
- Christopher Woody
