Anthony Davis is making his mark for Team USA at the 2024 Olympic Games. It's his second time repping the United States in the Olympics and a far cry from how his first go-around looked like. Once a player who was stuffed to the end of the bench, the big man is playing regularly and making a real impact.
Davis called himself a “towel waver” on Team USA in 2012, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape, a joke about how he was not a major player on the team. Now, he sees regular minutes and was even used as a starter in the Americans' win over South Sudan. He said that his experience as a youngster with the national team shaped him into the player he is today.
“I don’t think that I would be the player I am today without that experience,” Davis said, via Andscape. “Obviously, every guy has played summer league. But I never played summer league. That first year being around those guys I was around, Melo [Anthony], Kobe, Bron, [Andre] Iguodala, James Harden, Russ [Westbrook], KD [Durant], Kevin Love, all those guys… Seeing their work ethic, their professionalism, how they approached the game.”
Anthony Davis recalls important Team USA experience ahead of rookie season
Even if he hadn’t played with Team USA, Davis probably would have still become the phenom he is today. His special blend of size and skill translated to the NBA right away.
However, being around the best professional players that the United States had to offer was understandably important for the young Davis. Learning how to be a pro and getting first-hand experience against stars gave him a huge leg up on other youngsters. With such a big springboard, Davis hit the ground running and, despite being wildly injury-prone, has been one of the best players in all of basketball for over a decade.
Davis' rebounding and interior scoring have been huge for Team USA in 2024. As they look to navigate the knockout stage and win the gold medal, they'll be ready to call on The Brow.
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