Anthony Davis Is a Co-Star, Not a Sidekick: Unchecked

Anthony Davis is a co-star, not a sidekick, and that’s probably why the Los Angeles Lakers are going to win the NBA championship.

If you know me, this is in no way a shot at LeBron James, who despite not being at his best in this series has still impacted outcomes as much as anyone, as he always does, evidenced by his unbelievable defense against Jamal Murray down the stretch of game four.

But James has had the luxury of not needing to be a world beater as a scorer, something he couldn’t afford on many of his previous runs to the NBA Finals, because he’s playing alongside a monster.

And he knows it, as James has been willing to defer to AD in a way I’ve really only seen him do in stretches while playing with Kyrie Irving and at the beginning of his time in Miami with Dwyane Wade. Davis has responded by displaying his disgusting skillset, from pull up jumpers, to running floaters and has gone beyond one buzzer beater and gotten late buckets like a true closer.

Then there’s the versatility he brings to the table as well, which along with LeBron’s interchangeable defense allows the Lakeshow to adapt to any style of opponent, whether that be the small-ball Houston Rockets or bigger Denver Nuggets. 

AD’s importance was also felt by the reaction I’m sure many had when he went down grabbing his ankle, but like his superstar teammate has done so many times before he laced them up tighter and got back out there.

It’s been a while since LA has been in a position to add to the franchise’s extensive hardware collection, but they are now just a handful of wins away from doing just that.

In large part because Davis has answered the bell this postseason to give the Lakers another legendary duo.