Former Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard has a bit of advice for the team's newest big man Anthony Davis.
Howard, who only played one season for the Lakers back in 2011-12, told Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times that AD should have fun and enjoy playing for the Purple and Gold and the city of Los Angeles.
“I would tell him to just enjoy the moment and enjoy this season. When I was here, unfortunately things happened where we didn’t win, guys got hurt, but I enjoyed the city, I enjoyed the people and I had some really great relationships with people that came from being out here.”
The Lakers formed a superteam back in 2011 when they traded for both Howard and Steve Nash. They teamed up with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace — three players who were part of the 2010 championship team. On paper, LA's roster looked really intimidating. Unfortunately, they underachieved.
As Howard said, injuries were one of the main reasons why they failed to win that season. They were able to snag the seventh seed in the West, but Bryant, who was the team's best player, tore his Achilles a few weeks before the playoffs.
Dwight then decided to leave the team in the following year to join the Houston Rockets, but he said there were still some good takeaways for him during his time with the Lakers.
“So there were some positives. We just didn’t win that season, and that’s what happens when you play basketball. Things may look good, but injuries and other issues may happen and things might not work out, but I still had a good time in L.A,” Howard said.
Davis is somehow in a similar position as Howard. He's faced with the responsibility of becoming the Lakers' next franchise player, especially since LeBron James will be passing him the torch soon. The pressure might be too much for AD to handle, which is why D12 wants him to chill.
The demand from the Lakers and its fans can sometimes be overwhelming, but with LeBron serving as his mentor, Davis will be just fine.
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