Anthony Davis' plea to Mavericks fans after Luka Doncic-Lakers trade probably won't work

Davis explained one of his actions in his lone game with the Mavericks.

Feb 8, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Dallas Mavericks fans are still reeling from the trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis for Max Christie. It doesn't help that the Lakers have rocketed up the Western Conference standings while Dallas has plummeted due to injuries.

One of those injuries was to Davis, who suffered an adductor strain 31 minutes into his dazzling Dallas debut against the Houston Rockets. At the time he went down, he had 26 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocks. During that performance, he turned to the crowd and shouted, "I'm here!"

Anthony Davis:

“I’M HERE. I’M HERE.” pic.twitter.com/d3gRYRBq6V

— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) February 8, 2025

READ MORE: Former Dallas Maverick re-signs with Lakers

Davis recently sat down with Dana Larson of the Dallas Mavericks to discuss a bunch of topics, one of them being why he did that at that moment.

"I know the whole city was down because of the Luka [Doncic] thing," Davis said. "At the same time, I know who I am as a player. I'm top-75 of all time. I just wanted to let the Dallas fans know. I'm here. I got y'all. I'm here now. I know you lost a superstar in Luka, but you also gained a superstar in myself."

While it's true that he was named to the NBA's all-time Top 75 list they released a few seasons ago and he is a phenomenal player when he's healthy, he hasn't even finished a game for the Mavericks yet. And there's a decent chance that Davis won't play again for the Mavericks this season as they continue to fall down the standings.

It may be in the team's best interest to shut everyone down who is recovering from injury and get better lottery odds for a loaded 2025 NBA Draft. With Kyrie Irving tearing his ACL, it's unlikely the Mavs can make a deep run, even if they can hang on to the 10th seed for the final spot in the Play-In Tournament.

So, for Dallas to trade away its second coming of Dirk Nowitzki for someone who played three quarters, it's unlikely they'll get less emotional any time soon.

READ MORE: Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis among 10 Mavericks on injury report vs. Suns

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