All-NBA big man Anthony Davis will make his much-anticipated return to the Smoothie King Center when his Los Angeles Lakers play the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.
AD is expecting fans to boo him all night long, but he doesn't think racism has anything to do with it:
Anthony Davis when asked if he thought any boos tonight would have anything to do with racism (in response to the Ramona Shelbourne comments). "No. No."
— Rod Walker (@RodWalkerNola) November 27, 2019
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne recently suggested there were racial overtones that factored into the anger at Davis and Rich Paul for the public trade demand out of New Orleans and the subsequent drama.
Davis doesn't really think this is the case, and he has a point. The actual trade demand wasn't the big issue, but the public nature of it was, as well as how things played out as trade talks began in the middle of a season. Davis basically mailed in the rest of the season and had other missteps along the way, including flipping off a fan and wearing a “That's all Folks” shirt at the end of the season.
While fans would have likely been upset either way given Davis' talent level, it's understandable for a player to want a new opportunity after staying in one spot for so long without winning anything. AD chose to look for a better opportunity for himself, which he found with the Lakers, but the way the whole situation was handled will result in some serious vitriol on Wednesday night.
The Lakers are currently the best team in the league with a 15-2 record, and they have won nine straight games. Meanwhile, New Orleans is currently 11th in the West with a 6-11 record.
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