Anthony Davis suffered an injury in his first game with the Dallas Mavericks after he was traded as part of a stunning blockbuster, and it sounds like the 10-time All-Star wishes he had waited a bit longer before debuting with his new team.
Davis suffered a left abductor strain in his first game as a Maverick on Feb. 8. He finally returned on Monday night after missing several weeks.
In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape that was published on Friday, Davis admitted that he may have rushed himself into action with the Mavericks. The 32-year-old had already been receiving treatment for an abdominal injury and said his routine was thrown off after the trade.
Anthony Davis in a Mavericks uniform
Feb 8, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) in action during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
“If I could do it over, I would probably take a couple more days,” Davis told Spears. “When the trade happened, I was on my way to come back against possibly the Clippers with the Lakers. But when the trade happened, you got to leave and go to the next city, go through your physical. And I had to go to meet them in Philly, try to get everything situated. So, I didn’t have my treatment gear that I needed. So, that was like three days of not treating (the injury) and being on a protocol that I’ve been on. So, possibly. I don’t know. I can’t say. But I probably would’ve taken a couple more days, looking back at it.”
Davis has played in three games since returning from the injury, and Dallas won all of them. He had 18 points and 7 rebounds in 30 minutes in the Mavericks’ 120-119 win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.
Many viewed the 2024-25 season as a lost one for the Mavericks after they traded Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving suffered a torn ACL. The team entered Sunday with a record of 37-38 and in 9th place in the West, however, so they are making a playoff push.
Davis has a long injury history, which is why fans were so hard on him when he got hurt in his first game with the Mavericks. He would have faced that same criticism had he sat out after the trade, but perhaps it would have been worth it.