Despite having dropped their last four games, the Lakers remain atop the Western Conference and offseason import Anthony Davis has been a huge part of L.A.’s return to prominence. Paired with LeBron James, the Lakers’ dynamic duo has lived up to the billing thus far and championship aspirations remain intact for the franchise.
Ahead of their eventual Christmas Day loss to the Clippers, Davis spoke to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports to discuss the journey that brought him to Hollywood. Davis, a free agent at the end of the season, thus far has not committed to the Lakers beyond the current season. However, he was reflective in his discussion on the mindset that led him to request a trade from the Pelicans and what his goals are for the remainder of the regular season.
Check out some of the highlights from Davis’s chat with Haynes below:
On which teams Davis had in mind as potential destinations after his trade request…
There were several teams in mind. My agent [Paul] was doing a good job talking to the front office and management over there. He was the one communicating back and forth with them, and I was just trying to continue being a leader over there and still playing when they allowed me to. I’m not sure what was really being talked about, but the Pelicans didn’t do anything. So I still tried to lead that team, and when I got a chance to play, I played my heart out. It’s basketball. I’m still going to be a professional, and any time I’m on the floor with four other guys, I’m going to go out there and compete.
When he decided that he wanted out of New Orleans…
I think it was just the wins weren’t adding up, and it seemed like we weren’t making the playoffs. Everyone around me and everyone who knows me knows that I want to win. And I didn’t feel like we were going to be able to do that last year. I want to be able to win. We got off to a great start. We were 4-0. Then guys got hurt and little things started to go south. But my mindset at the time was to keep trying to lead my team.
The ultimate goal of a championship driving his decision…
You don’t have a lot of time in this league. It goes by very fast. So for me, it was about putting myself in position where I can win before this career is over. And hopefully win several championships and have several winning seasons. That’s what was going through my head at that time. I’m not sure what the record was, but I felt like it was time for me to at least let the organization know where my head was at.
