It’s been over a month since the Los Angeles Lakers shocked the NBA world by trading 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic. The blockbuster move marked the end of a five-year partnership between Davis and LeBron James, a duo that led the Lakers to an NBA championship in 2020 but was ultimately hindered by injuries.
Although Davis is no longer in LA, his bond with James appears to remain strong, as evidenced by their interactions when the Lakers faced the Mavericks on Feb. 25.
As Davis continues to recover from an injury, he sat down for an interview with Mavs TV. The new Mavericks star revealed a moment he and James shared during their time together.
Davis revealed that James offered him the No. 23 jersey—the same number Davis wore during his time with the New Orleans Pelicans—when he first arrived in LA. However, Davis chose instead to forge a new path with No. 3. It was a big decision for the star forward, as the number he chose could now end up being retired one day by the organization.
When I got to LA, Bron wanted to give me the 23, but I was like, ‘I don’t want to take your number,'” Davis said.
Davis added, “Then that second year, he went to 6 and he asked me if I wanted 23. And I was like, ‘I actually want to stay with 3. I want to go back to where it all started.’
Davis made his debut for the Mavericks in a 116-105 win over the Houston Rockets, and he was on track for a historic performance before suffering an adductor strain early in the third quarter. A month has passed, and the Mavericks are still without their star big man, while Doncic continues to thrive in LA.
With no official timeline for Davis’ return, Dallas faces an uphill battle in the Western Conference playoff race. The Mavericks currently sit in 10th place, and with Kyrie Irving officially out for the season due to a torn ACL and starting center Daniel Gafford set to miss some extended time, Davis returning sooner rather than later may be their only hope of making a playoff push.
