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Anthony Davis is ready to start his time with the Dallas Mavericks but not before thanking his Los Angeles Lakers teammates and fans.
After the Lakers sent him to Dallas in the trade that brought Luka Dončić to Los Angeles, Davis took to Instagram on Monday and wrote the following message:
“6 years ago, I came here with the vision to win a Championship, and I will never forget the moment we did! The business of basketball is a business just like all other businesses… I am grateful to the city where my first ring came from, grew my family and friendships and I will always have a home here. My family and I thank everyone who made this place home and we are still thinking of those that lost their homes in the fires.
“To my teammates: our friendships go beyond a locker room and a jersey… LA will always have a special place in my heart.
“Every great story has an exciting next chapter… Dallas- Here we come!”
While Davis’ tenure with the Lakers came to a shocking end with Saturday’s trade, he will forever be a part of the franchise’s illustrious history.
Los Angeles acquired him via trade from the New Orleans Pelicans before the 2019-20 season, and he wasted no time making an impact. That Lakers team won a championship inside the Walt Disney World bubble with Davis playing a major role in his first season.
He averaged 27.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals a night while shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from deep in 21 playoff games on the way to a championship. He also drilled a buzzer-beater in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals to defeat the Denver Nuggets.
As he said in his message, Davis delivered on the reason he came to Los Angeles by helping lift that team to the title.
While it was his only championship with the team, he was named to his fourth All-Star Game with the Lakers this season and remained a dominant two-way player when he was on the court.
Attention now turns to how he fits with the new-look Mavericks, who will surely be relying on Kyrie Irving to generate even more of the offense come playoff time with Dončić now in Los Angeles. He and Davis can work in pick-and-rolls and pick-and-pops, which could also create open looks on the wing for Klay Thompson.
The ceiling may be lower than it was with Dončić running the show, but there are still a number of proven players with championships on their resume in Dallas.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if it competed for a deep playoff run even after the trade.
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