Anthony Davis played like a man on a mission on Thursday, as he led the Los Angeles Lakers to a crucial Game 2 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers. The 27-year-old revealed after the win that teammate LeBron James actually gave him the silent treatment all day long.
Davis revealed James' rather unusual tactic following the Lakers' 111-88 blowout win against the Blazers:
“He didn’t say one word to me today,” Davis said, via Melissa Rohlin of SI.
As it turns out, LeBron's approach worked to perfection, and it resulted in an amazing bounce-back performance from Davis, who finished with a game-high 31 points on 13-of-21 shooting, 11 rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block in just 29 minutes of play.
To be clear, it's not as if James refused to talk to Davis for days. As a matter of fact, Davis himself earlier expressed his appreciation for LeBron's words of encouragement after the former's lackluster showing in the Lakers' Game 1 loss.
Davis opened up about James' leadership again, explaining how LeBron helped him get through a rather forgettable playoff debut for the Lakers:
“I was really down on myself after Game 1,” Davis said. “I didn’t feel like I performed to the level I needed to. And he let me have my moment and kind of get on myself. And then he talked to me and said I was fine. He said it’s one game. And as a guy who’s won multiple championships and been in these situations before, he knows what to expect. He knew what to expect from his teammates. And he kind of just was there for me to kind of encourage me and keep me levelheaded.”
Davis is one of the best players in the NBA right now, but it is no secret that he his rather inexperienced when it comes to playoff basketball. LeBron understands the situation and is clearly doing everything he can to guide Davis in what they hope to be a long postseason run for the Lakers.
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