Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis is regarded as one of the most talented players in the NBA. Capable of making an impact on both ends of the court, he has earned that distinction as few players possess the blend of skills that he does.
Throughout his NBA career, he has garnered a lot of production and accolades. He has reached the top of the basketball world, winning a ring with the Lakers in the 2020 Orlando Bubble. Nine All-Star games, four All-NBA nominations, four All-Defensive Team nominations and a three-time block champion are also on his resume.
But, the one thing that is missing is the Defensive Player of the Year award. He recently spoke about not winning the award to this point in his career and it is something that bothers him as he sees himself as one of the best defenders in the NBA.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Anthony Davis & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
“I’ll never get it,” Davis told ESPN when asked about the award. “They’re not giving it to me. The league doesn’t like me. I’m the best defensive player in the league. I can switch 1 through 5. I can guard the pick-and-roll the best in the league, from a big standpoint. I block shots. I rebound.
“I don’t know what else to do. I’m over it. I’m just going to do what I got to do to help the team win and try to play for a championship. Accolades and individual awards, I’m done with those.”
Some people will point to the Lakers’ first-round series against the Denver Nuggets and how they are faring. Down 2-0 in the series, Los Angeles has lost 10 straight games to Denver in large part because they have no answer for Nikola Jokic.
But, if you are going to hold that against Davis, there are a lot of players in the NBA that need to be re-evaluated because Jokic dominates virtually every matchup he has. He is a two-time MVP, potentially soon to be three, for a reason.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Anthony Davis & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Davis isn’t the first player on the Lakers to speak about the Defensive Player of the Year award. On a recent episode of The Shop, it was also a topic of discussion for LeBron James, who has finished second twice in his illustrious career.
James expressed some annoyance at never winning the award as well, as it is the only trophy that he doesn’t have in his house. Both players have strong cases to have at least one, but James’ goose egg really makes no sense. In the 2012-13 season, he finished second to Marc Gasol, who didn’t even earn a spot on the All-Defense First Team that season.
When taking a deeper look at it, Gasol was lucky to make either of the teams. He only made the second team on a technicality as Tyson Chandler and Joakim Noah tied to have six players make the first team. His 12 points were also fewer than the 16 Larry Sanders garnered, who was the top vote-getting center to miss out on either team.
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