Lakers News: Pundit Believes Non-Hall Of Fame Big Man Was Better Than Anthony Davis

Even if he never makes another All-Star appearance (unlikely if he can stay healthy) or wins another championship as a core piece of a team ever again, Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis' long-term legacy feels pretty secure.

Surprisingly, however, not everyone agrees with exactly how historically excellent the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year candidate actually is.

During a conversation with Bovada's Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, Detroit-based lifestyle expert Ty Mopkins revealed he believes Davis, a surefire first-ballot future Hall of Famer, is inferior to an historic, non-Hall of Fame NBA big man who preceded him: former New Jersey Nets All-Star/All-NBA power forward/center Derrick Coleman.

Anthony Davis gives me Derrick Coleman vibes at times.

Barbershop talk with @TyMopkins about Detroit, @starter, @44TheLegend & a whole lot more!

Check out our chat over at @BovadaOfficial x @Bovada_Casino. https://t.co/YOu0wBVL2K
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) July 19, 2023

"I would take DC over AD just because he was the one that created the term 'stretch four,'" Mopkins told Robinson. "And growing up here in Detroit and watching Derrick Coleman firsthand, he was larger than life, because his role model and the reason why he wears 44 [as his jersey number] is [Hall of Fame San Antonio Spurs swingman] George Gervin, who is also from Detroit. So he kind of patterned himself as a big man. So if you notice, sometimes he used to push the rock from coast to coast too, and lefty, throwing it up and doing everything like that. So I was blessed to come up in a stage here in Detroit where we had tons of PSL legends."

Coleman, the eventual No. 1 pick in the 1990 draft, went to high school at Northern in Detroit, Michigan, before a four-year college stint at Syracuse.

"So with DC, DC was the big bro out of all of us," Mopkins said. "So just to watch DC first hand, it's just incredible... DC would kill Anthony Davis."

During a 15-year career with the Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, and Mopkins' Detroit Pistons, the 6'10" big averaged 16.5 points on .447/.295/.769 shooting splits, 9.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 blocks and 0.8 steals per bout. He made one All-Star team and two All-NBA teams while with the Nets.

Davis, a one-time NBA champ with LA, plus an eight-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA honoree, four-time All-Defensive Teamer, and a member of the NBA's 75th anniversary team, has Coleman beat when it comes to accolades, but obviously Mopkins believes the Detroit legend was a bit ahead of his time -- essentially Davis before Davis.

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