Anthony Davis claimed his stake as a part of the “efficacious eight” – The only 8 people in the world to win the three biggest titles in the world of basketball.
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Not everyone gets to win an NBA championship – 30 teams and only one can win per year. Even lesser players can win Olympic gold since the tournament is once in four years and only 12-15 people get selected.
The trifecta of an NCAA, NBA, and Olympic is so rare, that only 8 people have done it in the history of the NBA. Anthony Davis joined three other big names in Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and Bill Russell when he won the 2020 NBA championship.
That puts him on hallowed grounds, considering there are not many players coming through the system who can win all three titles.
Before 1992, no active NBA player was allowed to play for their country, so the 7 players before AD won their Olympic gold while they were still college-level players.
But in 2012, AD did something that no one after 1992 did – he joined the other legends by winning his gold medal before he played in an NBA game.
He was only 18, yet coach Mike Krzyzewski selected him because of the shortage of big men. That turned out to be a masterstroke because Davis killed it. He did not play much but provided vital depth in their dream run to the finals.
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Anthony Davis has the skill to be the best in his position – his physicality on the other hand is worse than soft butter
With all the talent in the world, Anthony Davis could be one of the best Power forwards in the league’s history. He did not have his growth spurt until his late teens, which means he played point guard in school.
This position switch means that he has the handles of a guard and the length of a forward. When fit, AD is a player not many have an answer to.
And that is where he falls flat on his nose – his ability to stay fit. Davis is softer than room temperature butter. He’s rarely stayed fit through the whole season, and last season was the worst.
His injury was the reason LeBron James played in the center position for most of the season, and was the downfall of the team. If he does manage to stay fit enough, the Lakers are poised for a good run.
He’s been working with Lethal Shooter too to improve one of his paint points – shooting. Last season, he had the worst numbers in terms of 3-point percentage, even though he was never a good one, to be honest.
Brook Lopez has matured into a better shooter, and that is saying something. The Lakers faithful would love to see AD do better, and win more titles in the purple and gold uniform.