On Sept. 26, New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis told reporters he is the best player in the NBA and that nobody can tell him otherwise. The Chicago native is not backing away from those claims and firmly believes in his talents.
In an interview with Rachel Nichols of ESPN, Davis explained why he believes he's the best basketball player in the world, and ahead of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant.
“Those two are great players,” Davis said of LeBron and Durant. “But, I don't think…I bring something unique to the table. My game is different from both of those guys. Both ends of the floor. MVP candidate and Defensive Player of the Year candidate. So that's why I feel like my name should be at the top of the list.”
Anthony Davis says he’s the best player in the NBA – and yes, I asked him if he’s heard of LeBron & Kevin Durant. But AD points out he’s the only one if that group who was a finalist for both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year last season. pic.twitter.com/gc2njPliyQ
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) October 13, 2018
You have to love the confidence from Anthony Davis, who had another outstanding season in 2017-18. The former No. 1 overall pick out of The University of Kentucky averaged 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game during the regular season while shooting an efficient 53.4 percent from the floor and 34.0 percent from beyond the arc. Davis also led the league in total blocks (193) and blocks per game (2.6).
At 6-foot-10, Anthony Davis can score from the perimeter and post, is a nightmare on the fast break, and has guard-like skills which allow him to create his own shot off the dribble from anywhere on the court. He's like Durant, in the sense that you can't block his shot and have to just hope he misses.
The main reason people put Durant over Davis is due to his scoring ability and 3-point shooting. LeBron, meanwhile, is universally recognized as the best player in the game due to his passing prowess, high IQ, and freight train-like build.
It's not crazy, though, to say Davis is a top-three player. He has career averages of 23.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 2.4 blocks in 410 games, and is always going to be in the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year award conversation.
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