LeBron James decided to be forthright with his thoughts after the Lakers’ victory against the Suns, not holding back in going tough on critics of his teammate.
During a post-game interview with TNT, he defended teammate Anthony Davis against critics who questioned his performance in the season opener.
“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.”
James shade follows commentary by pundits on Davis’s performance including Shaq and Charles Barkley, with Shaq pointing out the importance of consistency and labeling him a high-scoring talent. In contrast, Barkley expressed concern about Davis’s absence in discussions about the game’s top players, raising questions about when he will shine brightly again.
This criticism of Davis’ performance comes after he had a strong start in the season opener with 17 points and eight rebounds but struggled in the second half. He also failed to score on six attempts from the field.
In the post-game coverage, Barkley, who previously predicted that Davis would become the best basketball player in the world within five years, expressed disappointment that Davis is no longer a prominent figure in discussions about the game’s top players, as reported by the Washington Post.
He noted that James has acknowledged it’s “Davis’s team now,” but he questioned when Davis would consistently shine, especially when he had a half without scoring.
Davis however bounced back with an impressive performance against Phoenix, scoring 30 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and making significant defensive contributions. He came alive in the second half with 19 points.
While his performance silenced the critics, the Lakers remained unfazed by the opinions, at least for this one night.
