Friday wasn’t the first time the Lakers had lined up across from Anthony Davis in a Mavericks jersey or even the first time AD had returned to Los Angeles since the deal, but it was the first time both of those things occurred in the same game.
Last season, injury kept Davis out of the lone Mavs game in LA. While he featured in the game in Dallas, the wounds were a little fresh and the emotions were still too raw for the players to really embrace the moment.
Friday, then, was a chance not only for the fans to see Davis on the court for the first time since the trade, but also for AD and his former Lakers teammates to meet once again.
Rui spoke following shootaround on Friday about how odd it still felt to see AD on the Mavericks.
Rui wasn’t alone in embracing his former teammate, though. Austin Reaves and AD had a lengthy conversation after the game, then swapped jerseys in the hallway.
Prior to the game, Redick spoke about Davis, calling him a “good soul” and saying he would root for him moving forward…just not in games against the Lakers. Asked about his thoughts on Redick’s comments postgame, Davis reciprocated the love.
“That’s my guy,” AD said. “We haven’t had a chance to have a conversation yet but we talked about it in Vegas when we played them [in the preseason], but we should. It’s something when he came in, very welcoming and try to get him to welcome me and embrace me as well.
“It was trying to figure each other out, trying to figure out what he likes to do, what’s his gameplan, his schemes coming into the seat while trying to figure out my game and every other player’s game as well. It’s working out for him and I wish him the best, for sure.”
While Davis may debate who all knew about the trade leading up to it, it’s clear there aren’t many, if any, personal grudges with the Lakers. He was a beloved member of the franchise and it’s clear how much the team and franchise still respects him, even if his days are a Laker are likely over.