Lakers' LeBron James to Anthony Davis: 'This Is Yours...We're Going Through You'

LeBron James is one of the greatest players in NBA history, but he apparently had no trouble telling new teammate Anthony Davis he would step aside for the big man this season.

Davis told Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium in an interview that he expected something resembling a 50-50 split with the King, but James instead said, "Nah, this is yours. I’ll play the second guy. We’re going through you."

The pairing is working.

Los Angeles is off to an 8-2 start and sits atop the Western Conference standings in the early going. It is a far cry from last season when the Purple and Gold missed the playoffs entirely as one of the league’s biggest disappointments.

James may be comfortable running things through Davis, but he is still putting up head-turning numbers and averaging 24.0 points, 11.0 assists and 8.2 rebounds per outing. Davis is tallying 26.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.9 blocks per game.

The fact that James was willing to step aside is notable for more than just a 34-year-old passing the torch to a 26-year-old. Davis has a player option on his contract for next season, and James and the Lakers have to convince him a long-term partnership is best for his career. 

If the early returns are any indication, it is.