'I Don't Give That S--t Any Attention': Anthony Davis Doesn't Hear the Hate

LOS ANGELES — With his knees wrapped for recovery maintenance, Anthony Davis sat at his locker stall scrolling through his phone. But he definitely wasn't looking at Twitter.

It's normal for players to be on their phones browsing social media after a big win. He had just led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 127-97 victory over the Golden State Warriors to take a 2-1 series lead Saturday night. Davis dominated in all facets with game highs of 25 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks and three steals in 33 minutes.

"Hell nah, I'm not on social media and it's been that way for about four months," Davis told Bleacher Report while at his locker stall. "I don't know what anybody is saying. Most times it's just clickbait to draw ratings. I don't give that s--t any attention."

After a 11-point, seven-rebound subnormal performance by Davis in Game 2 that contributed to a 27-point blowout by the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, the storylines overwhelmingly featured Davis.

And they weren't positive. When there is a playoff game every other day, there is a storyline and a narrative—positive or negative—that is formulated and disseminated to the masses following each contest.

For 48 hours, the eight-time All-Star was scrutinized and criticized from all corners of sports media for his inconsistent play. But the star said he had no knowledge of the storylines leading up to Game 3.

"I've got three kids and a wife I want to keep happy. I don't need any other stress," the 30-year-old told B/R. "You obviously want to compete at the highest level and perform to your best, but s--t, it doesn't go that way sometimes.

"I don't know what was said, and I don't care. I got 15 motherf--kers in this locker room and a coaching staff that I listen to. Outside of them, it's my strong support system. They're the only voices I let in."

LeBron James emerged and began getting dressed at his locker stall that's adjacent to Davis'. He overheard Davis' remarks and chimed in.

"Sometimes you just have to cut that s--t out," James told B/R in reference to social media. "Who do we need to listen to? Who? Exactly. Nobody."

In two of the three games in the second-round series featuring Warriors and Lakers, Davis has been the best player on the court. The Game 2 letdown preceded his monstrous Game 1 stat line of 30 points, 23 rebounds, four blocks and five assists.

"It's not like I say, 'Well, you know what, I'm going to take the night off. I'm not going to go hard tonight. I'm not going to make shots.' It's not like that," Davis told B/R. "People always want to tell you what to do, but I shot 10 times in Game 2 and I shot 11 times tonight [Davis took 10 field goals]. I got the same looks. Nothing was different aside from me making shots.

"When that negative stuff starts to circulate, I go into my own little world and remind myself of who I am and what I can do and why people are criticizing me. You're criticized for a reason. It's because of who you are or who they know you can be. Every single time before a game, I remind myself of who I am and I go compete."

The narrative has shifted in Davis' favor for now, but he insists he still won't consume what's being uttered on the outside.

"I'm very strong mentally," Davis told B/R. "It's hard to let anyone or something get into my head. If that happens, it's something serious. But I try not to allow anything to get into my head that I don't want to. I have a great support system around me. They won't allow me to stay in a negative space for too long.

"Whether it's an hour or a day of feeling like you could have done more, they're like, 'What are we doing? We don't have time for this s--t. Let's get back to who you are.' At the end of the day, I do what I do."

The Lakers have key rotation players who haven't played deep into the playoffs before. With a pivotal Game 4 on Monday in L.A., James offered his advice during his postgame media address.

"I think for the young guys that haven't been a part of the postseason or don't have much experience in the postseason, just stay off the TV and stay off of social media," James said. "You win a game; everybody is the greatest player in the world. You lose a game; they're throwing dirt on you. It's literally that simple.

"It's all about training your mind for the next challenge. … Stay off of social media. And when you watch the other playoff games, watch it on mute. Play some music in the background. That's what I do."