Following the Lakers’ victory over the Suns, LeBron James chose to be candid with his comments, not holding back from being critical of his teammates.
He defended teammate Anthony Davis against detractors who questioned his play in the season opener during a post-game interview with TNT.
“We don’t give a s–t about criticism about AD — we don’t care. Nothing bothers us,” James said of Davis who rebounded from his tough Game 1 with a dominant night against the Suns. “AD doesn’t care, I don’t know if guys have figured that out, AD does not care. He’s not on social media, so he’s doesn’t see that other crap. He rarely talks, unless it’s to us.
“So we don’t give a s–t about it. He definitely doesn’t.”
Shaq and Charles Barkley were among the experts who weighed in on Davis’ performance, with Shaq emphasizing the need for consistency and naming him a high-scoring talent. Barkley, on the other hand, voiced concern over Davis’s disappearance from debates about the game’s elite players, raising worries about when he will shine brilliantly again.
Davis’ performance has been criticized after he had a solid start to the season with 17 points and eight rebounds but struggled in the second half. He also went scoreless on six field-goal attempts.
According to the Washington Post, Barkley, who previously projected that Davis would become the finest basketball player in the world within five years, expressed dissatisfaction in the post-game coverage that Davis is no longer a prominent presence in conversations about the game’s top players.
He remarked that James has admitted that it is “Davis’s team now,” but he questioned whether Davis will constantly shine, particularly after a half without scoring.
Davis, on the other hand, rebounded with a strong effort against Phoenix, scoring 30 points, collecting 12 rebounds, and making big defensive contributions. With 19 points in the second half, he came alive.
While his performance silenced the naysayers, the Lakers were unaffected by the comments, at least for one night.