Anthony Davis has been one of the top players in the NBA for a long time now. He came into the league as a rookie with extremely lofty expectations. AD has been able to live up to the hype and has had a stellar career.
Chicago Kid
AD was born in Chicago, Illinois on March 11, 1993. His high school career was stellar. He was highly recruited by the top colleges in the country. The Kentucky Wildcats would ultimately land the superstar player. The Wildcats are arguably the greatest NCAA Basketball program of all time. Davis played only one year for Kentucky, and that single season was incredibly impactful.
Davis established himself as a player who could do it all on the court while at Kentucky. He was dominate on the defensive side of the court, and the offensive. In his Freshmen year, David would lead the Wildcats to the NCAA National Championship. He was remarkable in Kentucky’s Championship run. It was clear that he was the best collegiate player in the country and was ready to make the leap to the NBA after one year as a Wildcat.
Davis was so highly touted out of college that he was selected to join the USA Men’s Basketball Team for the 2012 Olympics. He played with NBA legends, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant on the squad. Davis was able to see up close what it took to be a dominant professional player. The 2012 USA Olympic team would bring home the Gold Medal. While still a teenager, AD had accomplished incredible things in his career. He was a NCAA Champion and an Olympic Gold Medalist.
Number 1
Davis would enter the 2012 NBA Draft and he was projected to be the Number 1 pick. He was widely considered to be the best player in the Draft that year. The predictions would prove to be true when the New Orleans Hornets selected Davis Number 1. Davis would play for the Hornets, who are now called the Pelicans, from 2012-2019. His time in New Orleans was filled with personal accomplishments, but very little team success. Davis would request a trade from the Pelicans in 2019.
LA
The Los Angles Lakers sent the Pelicans a substantial package of players and Draft Picks for AD. LeBron James was now a part of the Lakers organization, and pairing him with Davis, had Lakers fans very excited. The acquisition paid off big for Los Angeles in Davis’s first season with the squad. In 2020, the Lakers would win the NBA Title, and they were led by Davis and James.
The Future of AD
After the Los Angeles Lakers Championship in 2020, Davis struggled with injuries. Those setbacks have hurt the Lakers and has attracted criticism from fans and the basketball media. Regardless of what happens next for Davis, his career thus far has guaranteed he will be in the Hall of Fame when he decides to retire. Anthony Davis has proven himself over and over again on basketball’s biggest stages.
- Adam C. Better
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