Anthony Davis: Future No. 1 Pick Was Smart to Call out Kobe Bryant

Projected No. 1 pick Anthony Davis showed he has plenty of confidence in himself and suggested he could stop future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant.

In an interview on the Dan Patrick Show, Patrick and Davis had the following exchange.

Patrick: "You don’t want to go to go to against LeBron or Kobe or Dwight Howard?"

Davis: "Probably Kobe. He’s a monster. I just want to go out there and try my hardest. There’s a lot of guys who can’t stop Kobe. So if I stop him I could be one of the guys that say, 'I shut Kobe down.'"

Patrick: "Be careful what you ask for Anthony, he listens to the show and he has a great memory."

Davis: "Tell him I’ll be waiting."

For a normal prospect, this would be absurd, unnecessary and downright stupid.

Davis is no ordinary prospect.

The Kentucky power forward is the best defensive prospect to come out of the draft since Dwight Howard. He protects the rim like few players ever have and averaged 4.6 blocks per game this past season—the most in the country.

He has a 7’3” wingspan and exceptional leaping ability. He is also a natural shot blocker who jumps quickly and times his attempts to perfection.

The Lakers’ star has taken less shots at the rim as he’s gotten older. According to Hoopdata.com, he took 5.1 shots per game at the rim in 2007, compared to 3.5 this past season.

Bryant is less explosive than he once was, and now drives with more caution. Davis is an elite shot blocker and will only get better in the coming years.

Would anyone be that surprised if Davis swatted Kobe when the New Orleans Hornets play the Lakers?

Davis is simply stating what he knows he can do—stop Kobe Bryant from scoring at the rim.

In addition, the comment was clearly made tongue-in-cheek. His last statement was much more of a joke than a challenge. 

Still, it likely means that Davis has the confidence to believe that he can be successful defensively against Kobe Bryant. This, in my mind, is a good thing.

Davis is the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, meaning he will be expected to go up against the best the NBA has to offer and hold his own.

This comment shows that Davis believes in himself to do just that, and this is a good sign for his future.