NBA's best duo
The huge talent of LeBron James might be legendary, but that alone doesn’t win a championship. Everyone knows how he tried to recruit talents since he became a part of the Los Angeles Lakers. He didn’t succeed with Kawhi Leonard, but he hit the jackpot with Anthony Davis.
The two gelled perfectly, both true to their promise of seizing the championship ring. This is the fourth for 35-year-old James, but a sweet first for 27-year-old Davis. The two share a special bond and hopefully they will grab more championships for the franchise such as the 2020 NBA World Championship (the last win was 10 years ago) which they recently nabbed. The Lakers are now tied with the Boston Celtics for a record 17 NBA Championships.
James gloated about Davis in an Instagram post: “That simple! My brother is an ANIMAL and the scariest thing about it he’s just scratching the surface of his potential.”
Year 2020 started on a very painful note for the Lakers when Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna died in an accidental helicopter crash. The stubborn mamba’s love for the game and loyalty to the franchise have inspired many basketball players, inside and outside the franchise.
Then the lockdowns followed. While confined in their own homes, the Lakers continued their individual workouts since no one knew when the games would resume. All they knew was it would resume and they had to be physically and mentally prepared for it.
Their individual daily routine included cardio, lifting weights, shooting and other individual drills. They couldn’t let any of the physical and skill improvements slide because of the hiatus.
Soon, the NBA created a bubble in Orlando where the Lakers and other teams were isolated for almost 100 consecutive days. James and Davis, in their first season together, led their team to win Game Six against Miami Heat.
James, as a leader of the team, always emphasized “the process,” which brings about “results.”
According to reports, James introduced Davis to his current nutrition plan. The older basketball superstar also prescribed a preventive maintenance treatment on a regular basis.
Davis also mindfully reduced the number of times he fell to the floor when attacking the basket in order to lessen excessive wear and tear.
According to Davis, James didn’t only help him make adjustments on the court. He also credits him for helping him stay level-headed, including how to sleep properly using the Calm app that James endorses.
Even former US President Barack Obama lauded the leadership of James when he tweeted: “Proud of my friend @KingJames for his fourth title, fourth Finals MVP, and for not only living up to the hype after 17 seasons, but surpassing it as an extraordinary leader both on the court and in the public arena fighting for education, social justice, and our democracy.”
Many have hailed LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the NBA’s best duo. Reports said that James and Davis had combined points of 60, which is the second best in NBA history. The best duo was Kobe and Shaq in 2000.
Davis, an amazing two-way player, defended Jimmy Butler, blocked shots at the rim, and scored all over the floor. He averaged 27.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 57.1 percent shooting during the post season.
James averaged 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.8 assists on 56 percent shooting in 21 playoff games. This duo complement each other well with their versatility, offensively and defensively. No wonder the Laker Nation dream of more NBA titles in the future.
Davis could be LeBron’s greatest teammate yet. He is the first and only teammate of James to outscore him in the regular season in his entire career. He is also the most defensively versatile player.
James used his playmaking skills and veteran court acumen to set Davis up. This allows him to score easily. Finally, James has Davis to share the offensive load, too.
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Banner image from usatoday.com
