The superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis made good on their pairing and brought the Los Angeles Lakers their record-tying 17th championship after they dominated the NBA Finals.
James and Davis were the perfect one-two punch throughout the postseason. They were sharing on offense and both took pride in playing strong defense. This was especially apparent in Game 6 where James exploded for his 11th career Finals triple-double and Davis led a defensive unit that held the Miami Heat to only 96 points in the game.
Normally teams take more than a year to completely gel, but the tandem along with the rest of the team hit the ground running to come away with the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed. However, the Lakers took things to another level during the playoffs, winning the first three rounds in five games before eventually finishing things off in six games against the Heat.
Upon winning their first title together, James reportedly told Davis that their jobs were not over yet, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports:
“We’ve got more work to do,” sources said James told Davis during their celebration in the locker room.
As things currently stand, James is set to return but Davis has a player option for the 2020-21 season that he is surely going to opt of. However, there should not be panic as every indication is Davis will re-sign with the Lakers.
With James and Davis likely in tow together for the next couple of seasons, Los Angeles is well-positioned to compete for championships. They are already listed as betting favorites for the 2020-21 season, and could perhaps bolster their chances depending on how they approach the draft and free agency.
Even with no changes to the roster, the Lakers should be a force next season with James and Davis once again leading the way.
LeBron talks relationship with Davis
James has been fortunate enough to play with several stars throughout his career, but his fit with Davis might be his best year. Their on-court chemistry is undeniable and their off-court friendship surely helps as well.
When asked what makes their relationship so special, James acknowledged that there was no good explanation for it. “I can’t really explain it,” he began. “There’s just certain things you just know. And any type of relationship, you kind of just feel, you know that vibe. You have that respect. You have that drive.
“Sometimes you can’t explain what links you with somebody, and then it’s that organic. Sometimes you don’t even try to explain it. You guys ask me about my relationship with A.D., the first thing I think about is the respect, the no ego, the challenging each other. We want each other to be better than actually ourselves.
“I want A.D. to be better than me. A.D. wants me to be better than him. Every single night, every single day. And we challenge ourselves. I think that’s a part of it.”
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