The 2020 championship for Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers was special due in part to the dire circumstances that were presented to them after the late, great Kobe Bryant tragically passed and then the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hitting the world
It was a challenging situation as L.A. went to the Orlando bubble to cash in on a title after dominating the regular season. Davis and co-star LeBron James were the leaders of the team on and off the floor, but the veteran presence of the roster paid dividends during these challenging times.
One of those veterans was Rajon Rondo, who was crucial in the Lakers’ postseason run. He is one of the greatest basketball minds in the game, and has a relationship with James and Davis that goes back years.
In a recent appearance on D’Angelo Russell’s The Backyard Podcast, Davis discussed his relationship with Rondo and why he should be a head coach:
“Rondo is very cerebral. I’m surprised Rondo is not a head coach right now…. When you talk about somebody who knows the game, like, it’s unreal. It’s even hard to explain, you can’t even really explain it unless you’re in it. I’m talking about dissecting everything. And it’s to the point where, and I see this in you as well, he might come down and [realize] ‘Oh shit, he hasn’t gotten a touch. He hasn’t gotten a touch.’ Or ‘Alright, the defense is doing this. They did this the last two times.’ He comes down and it’s like ‘I need you here, you here, you here’ and manipulates the entire game as the game is going on. He slows it down, picking everybody apart and it’s just like, there’s nothing you can do. There’s nothing you can do.”
It feels like a matter of time until Rondo is added to a coaching staff due to his IQ, although he has had some off-the-court issues that have likely held him back. While a head coaching job may not happen right away, he certainly could be valuable as an assistant coach, whether on a contending or rebuilding team.
Davis spent time with Rondo in New Orleans and L.A., getting the full experience and recognizing how great of a basketball mind he is. Now 37-years-old and entering the next phase of his life without basketball, coaching could be a real possibility for the two-time champion.
Anthony Davis: Lakers would’ve won 2020 championship with or without bubble
Many tried to discredit the Lakers due to the bubble and not going through a traditional postseason, but Anthony Davis believes L.A. would’ve won the 2020 championship with or without the bubble.
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