LeBron James reacts to the Los Angeles Lakers' tribute to Anthony Davis: "He is one of my best friends"

On Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks. This was their first game after the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to California. And although he didn't play against LeBron James and his former teammates, Anthony Davis was also on the other side for the first time since the trade. Nevertheless, the Lakers offered their former champion a tribute video to honor his time with the team.

After the game, James talked about the tribute video the team made for his former teammate. In doing so, he spoke about his relationship with Davis and what he meant to the Lakers franchise. "What AD was to this franchise and what AD did for this franchise from the moment we got him, to lifting the Larry O'Brien trophy, All-Star nominations, winning the season opener tournament... obviously, our friendship goes without saying. He's one of my best friends, and it was great to see him receive that recognition and have that moment," James said.

Despite eventually trading him to Dallas, the Lakers never intended to part ways with Davis this year. In a recent interview with Rich Eisen, Lakers President Jeanie Buss discussed the trade. She also made it clear that the Lakers were not looking to move Davis.

"You know, in my position, there are certain players in the league that you think, 'There's no way I'm ever going to have that player on my team.' It's impossible. Unless you draft a star like that, they don't usually move. When the opportunity arose, we didn't want to trade Anthony Davis. He was our most solid player, so we had to give up a lot to get Luka... Looking back, the last time I saw Kobe alive was a month before he passed away. He had taken Gigi to a Lakers game to watch Luka play because Luka was Gigi's favorite player. The idea of Luka being a Laker now... I know how happy that would make Kobe and Gigi."

The Relationship between LeBron James and Anthony Davis

Before the trade, Davis had spent part of six seasons with the Lakers and was instrumental to their success. He helped lead them to a championship in 2020 and was one of the top players in the league during his tenure with the Lakers.

James and Davis were among the top duos in the NBA during their time together in Los Angeles, and it's clear there is still respect and admiration between them. Regardless, they are no longer teammates and are rivals for the first time since 2019. Since he missed the Tuesday match due to a groin injury, Davis only has one more chance to face his former team this season in April. That game, like the previous one, will be must-watch television.

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