Anthony Davis will be playing for the Los Angeles Lakers for the foreseeable future. That’s what became clear after Davis signed a five-year, $190 million contract with the Lakers following All Star teammate LeBron James’ own extension with the Purple and Gold.
But aside from wanting to stay put in Hollywood after winning his first championship, the 27-year old says that another reason he signed a long-term contract with the Lakers was because he wanted long-term security due to his injury history:
Davis says a reason he went ahead and signed for five years was understanding his own injury history, & wanting to lock in what he could. "God forbid" something terrible happen, was interested in the security. Makes a ton of sense, but players don't always want to say it. BK
— Kamenetzky Brothers (@KamBrothers) December 4, 2020
It’s a smart move on Davis’ part, as he has suffered a number of minor injuries throughout his career. His new contract, meanwhile, ensures that he will be paid at least $32 million per season until the 2024-2025 season, which is the fifth and final year of his deal.
Since being drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans (then the Hornets) with the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, the 27-year-old Davis has missed a few games each season due to injuries, missing a combined 108 games in New Orleans even before he joined the Lakers last season:
Here is a look at how many games Anthony Davis has missed each season of his career pic.twitter.com/FLz93NeaOx
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 4, 2020
This past season, the seven-time All Star missed nine games in the regular season for the Lakers, but was a force on both ends in the 62 games he suited up. In his first season alongside James, the former Kentucky Wildcat averaged 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.3 blocks while shooting 50.3% from the field and 33.0% from beyond the arc. He then took his game to another level in the playoffs during the championship run.
Even if his injury history was one of the reasons why the All-Star big man wanted a long-term contract, Anthony Davis' play on the court more than justifies receiving such a lucrative deal from the Lakers.
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