Media Day came to its conclusion, and a lot of players had something interesting. Most notably, LeBron James told the media, that Anthony Davis is the face of the Los Angeles Lakers. A bold statement, but one that Shannon Sharpe, King James’s biggest fan disagrees with. Speaking to Chad OchoCinco on Club Shay Shay, Sharpe questioned Bron’s decision to call AD a Laker great. Furthermore, he addressed how Davis could potentially help prolong The King’s time in the NBA.
LeBron is entering the first year of his two-year $97,000,000 extension with the Lakers. And, with him entering his age 39 season, questions have risen about his future in LA. However, many are of the opinion that he might consider extending his stay even further if The Brow can show up. After all, Bron is at that stage in his career where he cannot carry a team all by himself anymore.
Shannon Sharpe disagrees with LeBron James’s assessment of Anthony Davis as a Laker
LeBron James was recently asked to comment about the fact that Anthony Davis now has a longer contract than him with the Lakers. Choosing his words wisely, The King pointed out that AD is the face of the franchise, and once he retires years from now, he will go down as an all-time great Laker.
The statement surprised many, and as expected, it ended up making headlines. However, not everyone agrees with The King. In fact, LeBron’s biggest fan, Shannon Sharpe vehemently disagrees with him. He believes it is impossible for The Brow to be the face of the Lakers while Bron is still the face of the NBA.
A valid argument, and one that is furthered by Davis’ lack of consistency over the years. Pointing out how LBJ has been waiting for two seasons now for AD to take over, Sharpe is adamant that the big man cannot be taken seriously as a Laker until he takes some of the pressure off Bron’s plate. Moreover, he believes that Davis has the potential to prolong James’s career in the NBA.
“Is AD the face of the Lakers?…Hey the difference is AD is the face of the team, LeBron is the face of the NBA. It’s like Jerry Jones is the face of the Cowboys, Patrick Mahomes is the face of the NFL! That’s a whole different thing. So, I get what LeBron is trying to do. LeBron for the longest has said, “AD I need you to carry this thing now…Bro I’m in year 19, I’m in year 20, now I’m in year 21! You’re supposed to be in your prime. You’re supposed to take this thing and run!”. If AD were to take this thing and run with it, like I think he can, LeBron can easily get another two years.”
Shannon Sharpe’s points are valid to some extent. Davis is undoubtedly a great player, but, until and unless he starts playing more games, he can never be considered an all-time great player, let alone a Laker.
AD claims he is planning to play all 82 games in the 2023-2024 season
Shannon Sharpe isn’t the only one who believes consistency is key to Anthony Davis’s success as an NBA superstar. As mentioned earlier, playing more games will likely take a lot of pressure off LeBron, and AD himself knows it. Speaking on Media Day, The Brow made it clear that he is planning to play all 82 games this season.
Davis is certainly setting some lofty goals for himself. If the Lakers stand any chance of winning an NBA Championship, AD playing at least 60 games is a must.
