LeBron James Talks Anthony Davis' Lakers Legacy After Historic Game vs. Warriors

LeBron James heaped praise on Anthony Davis following his superstar-level performance in the Los Angeles Lakers' Game 1 win over the Golden State Warriors in their second-round playoff series Tuesday.

According to Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet, LeBron expressed his belief that the Lakers will one day bestow the ultimate honor on AD, saying: "The No. 3 will be up in the rafters … he continues to show why he's one of the most dynamic players in the league."

Davis was the catalyst behind the Lakers' 117-112 win, as he led L.A. with 30 points and 23 rebounds, becoming the first Lakers player since Shaquille O'Neal in 2004 to post a 30-point, 20-rebound game in the postseason.

In four seasons in Los Angeles, Davis' tenure with the Lakers has largely been defined by a rash of injuries that has often limited him.

Davis played in 62 regular-season games in 2019-20 and enjoyed a spectacular playoff run alongside James, resulting in the Lakers beating the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals to win their first championship since 2010.

Since then, Davis and the Lakers have failed to come close to replicating that success, and injuries have been a major culprit.

AD was limited to 36 games in 2020-21 and 40 games in 2021-22, resulting in the Lakers suffering a first-round playoff exit and then missing the playoffs all together last season.

Davis missed some time this season as well, but he managed to play in 56 contests and was excellent when healthy, averaging 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.0 blocks per contest.

That, along with LeBron's play, Austin Reaves' emergence and the important acquisitions of D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley were enough to push the Lakers into the play-in tournament and ultimately the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.

As good as LeBron was in the first round, it can be argued that Davis was the driving force behind the Lakers' first-round upset of the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies. In six games during that series, plus Game 1 of the second round, the eight-time All-Star is averaging 22.1 points, 15.0 rebounds and an NBA-leading 4.3 blocks.

The Warriors tend to rely on a smaller lineup and play a fast-paced style, and while Kevon Looney grabbed 23 rebounds on Tuesday, they had no answer for Davis on the defensive end.

The Lakers feel like a true threat to run through the remainder of the Western Conference playoffs, reach the NBA Finals and potentially win another title, which would cement Davis' legacy as a franchise great.

Few teams in NBA history have had as many superstar players as the Lakers, resulting in 12 players having their numbers retired.

James is seemingly already a lock to join that group, and if he is right about Davis, then 14 player banners and their numbers will hang in the rafters once AD retires.

Shaq, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain are not only three of the greatest bigs in Lakers history, but three of the greatest players at any position in NBA history.

Davis likely needs at least one more title to come close to rivaling them in Lakers lore, but even without it, his role in bringing a championship back to L.A. in his first season with the franchise could be enough to earn him the honor of a number retirement.