The LeBron James-Anthony Davis era in Los Angeles came to a stunning end when the Lakers made the blockbuster decision to trade Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic.
The duo brought the Lakers an NBA championship in 2020 and made a deep postseason run to the Western Conference Finals in 2023, but the franchise ultimately opted for a new direction. Speculation has run rampant about what led to the breakup, with reports suggesting James approved the trade-though he says he was not briefed beforehand (h/t ESPN’s Dave McMenamin).
As fans continue searching for answers, a January interview with Davis is now making the rounds on social media.
Los Angeles Lakers forwards LeBron James (23) and Anthony Davis (3) © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The clip, from a Jan.
17 interview with DeepCut (released on Feb. 20), featured Davis responding to hypothetical questions. Show host VicBlends asked Davis which Lakers teammate he would want by his side for survival if stranded on an Island.
“Bron,” Davis answered without hesitation. AD said if he were stuck in an island and had to pick one teammate to be with, it would be LeBron pic.twitter.com/rjTgxc6HCW — Nicole Ganglani (@nicoleganglani) February 22, 2025 Despite fan speculation of tension between the two stars, the resurfaced clip suggests they remained on good terms before the trade. Adjusting to life without the James-Davis tandem will take time for Lakers fans.
The Purple and Gold had an impressive 157-92 record with both stars on the court.
In his five seasons with the Lakers, Davis also averaged 24.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.2 blocks, while shooting 53.2% from the field.
However, the arrival of Doncic signals a new era for the franchise. Still only 25, the Slovenian superstar is primed to carry the torch from James when the time comes, potentially leading the Lakers to more championships in the years ahead.
