In first public comments since Lakers trade, Anthony Davis says 'titles' are 'only thing' on his mind
It’s all about championships now for Anthony Davis.
Davis, after a rocky 2018-19 season that featured a messy public trade request from the New Orleans Pelicans, got his wish: a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. The trade won’t become official until Saturday, but Davis is already in Los Angeles getting used to life as LeBron James’ teammate.
[Free agency updates: Keep track of the moves, rumors, cap space and more]
Davis made his first public comments to the Los Angeles Times since the trade over the weekend. He wouldn’t get into specifics about the move until the transaction is made official by the league, but he made it clear what his mindset is moving forward.
“My goal is to win a championship,” Davis told the Times. “I expect to win every time I step on the court, every game. I want to win a title. That’s what it’s about — winning titles. That’s the only thing on my mind.”
As part of the trade, Davis agreed to waive a $4 million trade bonus to create the salary-cap space necessary for the Lakers to add another max contract to the roster. That’s another signal that, above all, Davis wants to win.
“Money comes and goes; your legacy is forever,” Davis said. “Anthony Davis is not going to be a great basketball player because of the amount of money he makes, it’s going to be about what he achieved on the court and also off the court. That’s all part of my legacy, and I think that’s way more valuable than any monetary value.”
As a way to welcome Davis to Los Angeles with open arms, James is going back to the No. 6 he wore with the Miami Heat to allow Davis to continue wearing the No. 23 he has worn since high school. Davis told the Times that Michael Jordan and James have always been his two favorite players, so wearing No. 23 is something he appreciates.
“Obviously, Jordan wore it and me being younger, watching LeBron, that number just stuck with me. It was definitely exciting to know I had that number to follow Jordan and LeBron, who wore that number as well,” Davis said.
Lakers looking to add another star
The Lakers were noticeably quiet as free agency opened with a frenzy on Sunday. And it will likely stay that way while the Lakers position themselves as a destination for Kawhi Leonard, who just won a championship with the Toronto Raptors.
The addition of Leonard would undoubtedly make the Lakers the championship favorites for 2019-20, but if they strike out the front office will scramble to fill out the roster around Davis, James and third-year forward Kyle Kuzma. For now, those three and rookie Talen Horton-Tucker are the only players under contract for the Lakers.
Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes reported Sunday that Leonard will “ramp up” his free agency process in the next few days. Leonard has visits scheduled with the Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and the Raptors, per Haynes.
With Kevin Durant signing with the Brooklyn Nets, Leonard is the top free agent remaining.
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