Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis made some history this offseason. The three-year, $186 million max extension that the two sides agreed to is the largest extension in NBA history and will keep Davis under contract through 2028. He will now earn a guaranteed $270 million over the life of his deal.
That may seem like a lot of money, but it pales in comparison to what the Boston Celtics signed Jaylen Brown to earlier this offseason. Because he made an All-NBA team, Brown was eligible for a super-max deal himself and the Celtics gave it to him. A five-year, $303.7 million deal makes Brown the highest-paid player in NBA history, a record that will likely be broken soon enough.
Both contracts were eyebrow-raising and brought about some strong opinions. Brown getting such a deal after floundering in the postseason was certainly surprising, and Davis has his doubters as well.
Availability has been Davis’ Achilles heel throughout his career. He has missed a lot of time, sitting out a double-digit amount of games in all but two of his 11 seasons in the NBA. Alas, when healthy, he is one of the most dominant two-way players in the league.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Anthony Davis & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
That is something former NBA superstar Gilbert Arenas believes that some people have forgotten. He recently let his opinion be known in a recent episode of a podcast with Underdog Fantasy that he hosts.
“Anthony Davis did everything the Lakers asked him to do,” Arenas tweeted on August 8. “Don’t let LeBron’s dominance at his age make you think that AD still not HIM.” (H/T Heavy.com)
Arenas is certainly correct in his assessment. LeBron James gets a lot of attention, but the late-season surge the Lakers went on during the 2022-23 season and into the postseason was possible because of Davis’ presence.
Davis averaged 25.9 points per game on a career-high 56.3 percent shooting from the field during the regular season. He pulled down a career-high 12.5 rebounds with 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.0 blocks per game.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Anthony Davis & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
There aren’t many players in the NBA that can impact the game on both ends of the court as much as Davis, who upped his production in the postseason. He led the NBA with 14.1 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game in the playoffs, also handing out 2.6 assists with 1.4 steals and 22.6 points per game.
Davis’ adjusted his game accordingly in the postseason, taking a lesser role on offense to ensure that he could impact the game defensively. He took over when needed, and it was a game plan that produced success as the Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Anthony Davis & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
With James’ time as the centerpiece of the franchise nearing an end, Davis will become the face of the franchise. After having a very bleak-looking future just a year ago, things are certainly looking up in Los Angeles.
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