Although LeBron James’ debut season with the Los Angeles Lakers may not have gone as planned, he and the team managed to get it right the second time around with Anthony Davis helping lead the way to the the franchise’s 17th championship.
Of course, the journey did not come without its fair share of trials and tribulations. Even prior to the bubble, the Lakers had been navigating through an unprecedented season with the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and looming restrictions of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Once inside Walt Disney World, L.A. managed to take care of business with a dominant run through the Western Conference playoffs. However, the Miami Heat made it clear that they were not going down without a fight.
All along the way it was common for James and Davis to be among the players who appeared on the injury report prior to every game. Davis gave the Lakers a scare when he went down in Game 5 of the NBA Finals and struggled to get up.
He initially appeared to grab at his Achilles, but the Lakers said Davis re-aggravated a right heel contusion. Davis later explained he initially sustained in the injury during the Western Conference Finals.
However after the Lakers won the title, Davis revealed he also dealt with a separate ankle injury as well, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and Malika Andrews”
“Man, I’m hurting,” said Davis, who was listed on the injury report with a right heel contusion but told ESPN he was also dealing with an undisclosed ankle injury that had required six hours of treatment on Sunday afternoon. “My mindset is, ‘It’s the Finals. I got to do whatever I can to compete,'” he said. “There’s no way in hell I wasn’t playing in this game.”
Davis’ revelation is indicative of his desire to secure the ring that had eluded him through the first seven seasons of his career. Despite being clearly hobbled by the injury, Davis was able to pull through with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 2 blocks to close out the series.
Fortunately, Davis will now have ample time to recover and relish in a career year that saw him garner first-team All-NBA and All-Defensive honors en route to his first championship.
Davis expected to re-sign with Lakers in free agency
Aside from being snubbed for Defensive Player of the Year honors, Davis’ debut season with the Lakers could not have gone much better. Of course, this will not prevent him from doing his due diligence as a looming free agent that is set to test the market.
After saying he enjoyed being with the Lakers but would take time to evaluate his future, it was reported Davis is expected to decline a player option for next season but re-sign with the team in free agency.
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