Something that has been prevalent throughout the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament has been the intensity surrounding the games. That increased even more so during the quarterfinal games, and now that the tournament has moved to Las Vegas, Anthony Davis expects more of the same from Los Angeles Lakers fans.
In terms of proximity, the Lakers are the closest of the four teams to Vegas, but as Davis noted, Lakers fans travel wherever the team is regardless so it should definitely feel like a home game for the purple and gold.
“Yeah, Laker fans travel well anyway wherever we go. We feel like wherever we go, it’s a home game for us,” Davis said. “But the tournament has been cool. Obviously, we didn’t know how to be going into it, but it’s going pretty well. The atmosphere around the games have been very competitive. Obviously, the color schemes on the court have been pretty dope to see.
“But it’s been good. Four left. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be even crazier as far as the atmosphere and the competitiveness and the intensity tomorrow night.”
And while Davis did admit to it being a little weird to be in Vegas in the middle of the season, he likes it.
“Yeah, for sure. It is crazy. I mean, usually for us it’s in October for preseason. But who doesn’t love Vegas. It’s weird, but I think it’s a great location.”
Now the question surrounding Las Vegas is whether or not the NBA should bring an expansion franchise to the city, something Davis’ fellow Lakers superstar LeBron James is extremely vested in. And the big man feels like doing so would be great for the league as a whole.
“Yeah, it’s a great location. Everyone comes here. You have a hockey team here, WNBA here, football here. We’ve had multiple games for the Lakers here in preseason. I think that’s kind of another reason why the tournament is here. Just kind of getting a feel, seeing how it is, the turnout, things like that.
“I know it has been discussed numerous times on several occasions about possibly bringing a team here, and I think if they do, it would only be beneficial for the NBA.”
A team in Las Vegas certainly seems to be in the NBA’s future, but for the present, Davis is focused on the task at hand, and getting a win over his former team, the New Orleans Pelicans, and advancing to the In-Season Tournament Finals.
Anthony Davis says Lakers aren’t putting more pressure on themselves with In-Season Tournament
All eyes will be on Anthony Davis and the Lakers when they take on the Pelicans in Las Vegas, but he and the team are continuing to treat it like another game. While Davis understands there will be extra attention, he insists the Lakers are not trying to add even more pressure onto themselves.
“Nah, I don’t think we’re really looking at it that way. Obviously, it’s a big game as far as the tournament goes, but we’re taking it as another game. Obviously, you want to get to Vegas and win it all, but we’re not putting too much stress on ourselves. This isn’t the end-all, be-all type of game. But obviously, we want to go out and win.”