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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – After Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has named Anthony Davis "the world's most dominant basketball player" at the inaugural center / center press conference on Saturday Davis made a statement echoing the same trust team.
"I would put our list against anyone," said Davis. "I feel like that in a series of seven games where we would come out victorious."
With banners hanging above him, commemorating all the NBA Finals series, the franchise had already won, including – 16 to be precise – the addition of the former No. 1 and All selections -Star six times in Davis, acquired following an exchange with New Orleans Pelicans last month, could be a big step forward.
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"What we think of Anthony Davis, is this: there is no more full basketball player in the game," Pelinka said. "He can not do anything, he can shoot, he can play, he can defend 1 to 5. He can protect the rim, he can handle the ball, his dedication to his job is second to none. He will be part of our team and that he will be one of the pillars of this franchise for many years, we are extremely proud of it. "
While Frank Vogel, Davis coach Pelinka and Pelinka, was addressing reporters, the presence of another Lakers player was equally felt: LeBron James. The most useful player four times stood at the back of the gym with a yellow sweatshirt and a black baseball cap tightly fitted over his head while he watched the memorable day of the match. ;team.
Davis said that the chance to play with James – whom he considers a friend, has been a teammate in all-star games and the Olympics, and with whom he shares an agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports – has left the prospect of leaving the only NBA team he has ever played for easier to deal with.
"Obviously, it was hard for me to leave a city where I have been playing for seven years, but I think it was better for me and it was my time," said Davis. "But when I learned that I was traded to the Lakers, I realized it was an incredible opportunity for me to be here with a great organization, and then to play alongside LeBron and obviously now the players that we have now … to have the opportunity to do that and come here and play for a win-based organization – forget to win, win championships, and that's the only goal – I think that's Was the greatest thing for me, knowing more about the unknown and knowing where I was going to be next season ".
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Anthony Davis said he gave up his $ 4 million kicker to help the Lakers sign a player "like Kawhi". Rob Pelinka also explains how he, LeBron and AD worked together throughout the process.
When the Lakers agreed to trade Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and a multitude of selections and pick-swap picks at Davis in June, the next season looked promising with the trio of James, Davis and Kyle Kuzma. books.
Davis waived a $ 4 million bonus to help L.A. release more space for Kawhi Leonard's signing, but saw Leonard team up with Paul George on the Los Angeles Clippers. Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook and James Harden joined forces on the Houston Rockets, and several other league-related deals have allowed championship candidates to materialize almost overnight. And the Lakers had to train their team through a series of smaller rookies – including Danny Green, Avery Bradley and two former Pélicans teammates from Davis' – to DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo – to complete the roster.
"Obviously, whenever you are able [to] To acquire a player like Kawhi, you have to do almost anything to find a guy like that, said Davis. Of course, it did not work, but I still wanted to do everything to help the team. Those 4 million were to add more money to the contract of a player than they wanted, or to find another guy, so of course I was ready to do it. And I think we did a great job using this throughout the team. "
Pelinka said that he had spent countless phone calls with James and Davis to determine the best way to spread the available cap space after Leonard had chosen the Clippers.
"It was like every day," detailed Davis. "In the hour."
This included taking into account Davis' personal request to add competent centers to not have so much to fill this position.
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"We want a dominance of him here, is not it? We must therefore do what is best for his body, and see him knock every night against the biggest centers of the world. "West, that's not what's best for his body," Pelinka said.
In addition to the Cousins, the Lakers brought JaVale McGee back to a one – year contract.
"I like playing the 4's," Davis said. "I'm not even going to wear makeup." I like to play at 4. I do not like playing too much at 5. So it is, coach, and you need me to play at 5, so I'm going to play The 5. But the game has become so hard to position that you can put five players on the floor and they play. "
He also likes to wear number 23 – the numbers from his uniform for pelicans and the University of Kentucky – and James offered him this garment next season until the number change came to him. proves to be too expensive for Nike, the official equipment supplier of the league. , arriving at this end of the game without suffering financial losses because of James 'unlisted inventory in the Lakers' No. 23 uniform, a source told ESPN.
"It was rather offensive," says Davis, shaking his head.
He opted for the # 3 after finding out what the different numbers of uniforms available on his avatar in the NBA 2K video game looked like.
"The first number I ever carried was number 3," he said. "When I saw that this number was available, I wanted to bring it back to its starting point and put it back in place."
Davis is on the last year of his contract, he should pay him $ 27.1 million this season. Although, according to sources, he intends to sign again with the Lakers in the long term in the summer of 2020, he has not publicly committed to doing so on Saturday.
"Honestly, I'm focused on this season," he said. "When I was traded here, my goal is to bring a championship here with the team we have, and when that moment arrives next year, then you can ask me this question and we'll see her again.For the moment, my goal is on this year and trying to figure out how I can help this team and help the organization become a championship team. "
A round of the championship would be a nice change of pace for Davis, who only played twice in his time with the Pelicans. And it would be almost as dramatic as when his lazy Saturday afternoon, lying on a hotel bed in Malibu, California, had been interrupted by the movie that he had been traded to the Lakers.
The title of the film? "Downsizing," sources said.
His television screen caught his eye as he pondered the big change in store life.
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