The trade centered around Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic was a shock to everyone, especially the players involved. According to multiple reports, the only people who knew about the trade were the executives, Dallas Mavericks’ general manager Nico Harrison and Los Angeles Lakers’ own Rob Pelinka. Because of the shock, Davis and Doncic had little to no time to process the trade.
During the Finals rematch of the Mavericks and Boston Celtics, TNT’s Allie LaForce had the chance to interview Davis. According to LaForce, the 2020 champion has moved on from how his Lakers tenure ended and is looking forward to the new chapter of his life.
“He couldn’t be more comfortable, considering that he just joined this team after the trade that shocked the world just a few days ago,” LaForce said. “He told me, ‘I’ve moved on entirely, there is no looking back, there is no bad feelings.’ There was the initial first two days of shock but since then, mentally he’s all locked in with this team.”
"I've moved on entirely […] there is no looking back" 🗣️
Anthony Davis discussed his unexpected trade with @ALaForce pic.twitter.com/CoJYb0M055
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 7, 2025
LaForce also shared that Davis and Kyrie Irving had plans to play together in 2018, but the latter joined the Brooklyn Nets and formed a Big 3 with Kevin Durant and James Harden.
The TNT courtside reporter also talked to Mavs veteran Spencer Dinwiddie. The 6-foot-5 guard said the team has no time to feel saddened about Doncic’s trade.
“Listen, the geometry changes, but we have to be pros, we have to do our jobs,” Dinwiddie said.
“You’re losing what was your best player and adding what will probably be your best player. We’ve dealt with so much uncertainty with injuries this season. We have to have that next-man-up mentality, and that’s how we feel with this trade. We don’t have time to be upset.”
Anthony Davis gets to play with LeBron James this season
It may seem like the partnership of Anthony Davis and LeBron James is over following the trade. And that might be true. However, the former Lakers duo has another chance to play with each other at the 2025 NBA All-Star Game in San Francisco, California.
Shaquille O’Neal, a former Laker star, selected the two former teammates on Thursday following the new format.
LEBRON JAMES — ANTHONY DAVIS ARE ALL-STAR TEAMMATES. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/piMSaWXea9
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 6, 2025
For Team Shaq, Anthony Davis and LeBron James will play with Stephen Curry, Jaylen Brown, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, James Harden and Damian Lillard. Their team-up could be their final hoorah as they move on with their careers with their respective teams.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
