Los Angeles Lakers: Anthony Davis ‘nervous’ about playing against New Orleans Pelicans

While it was hard to admit, Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis said he is apprehensive about his return to New Orleans.

Los Angeles Lakers combo PF/C Anthony Davis is not feeling too comfortable at the moment. It is not just because of the right shoulder soreness that has affected him off and on so far this season.

Conversely, Davis’ lack of comfort is more so mental than physical. The Lakers’ star is feeling this way given that he is going back to his old stomping grounds, New Orleans, on Wednesday night.

Frankly, it is wholeheartedly natural for a player to have mixed emotions in a scenario along these lines. However, it is worth noting that Davis’ scenario, in particular, is somewhat complicated.

For those who might have forgotten, Davis did not exactly have a graceful final season with the Pelicans. In fact, there came a point where his own fans booed his presence in spite of all he did for the franchise.

Certainly, his first half dozen years with the team were a hit. He helped wake up a city in dire need of a boost and his dynamic skill set made those sleepers arise.

Although that is true, it is those last few months of this past year that New Orleans fans cling onto. They are holding onto a grudge tighter than words alone can evoke.

Tim Daniels of Bleacher Report shed light on Davis’ rocky 2018-19 campaign in a recent piece he concocted. Daniels recollected that Davis and his representatives openly requested a trade from New Orleans prior to the trade deadline.

As a result of the trade request, Pelicans fans developed bitter resentment toward the talented player. Although he did a lot for the team and the city, it seemed to be swept under the rug. They dwelled on it and would not let go.

It probably did not help matters that one of the teams involved in the rumors at the time was the Lakers. While the Lakers were on their own hunt to just get back to the postseason, their history was way richer than their counterparts. It had to have been one of the many thoughts swimming around in the heads of the New Orleans faithful.

They were possibly wondering: “How could our main man betray us like this? The Lakers of all the teams in the world, too? Phooey!”

The public trade demand caused such disunity within the organization to where AD’s fanbase drastically diminished. If anything, they probably preferred for the big man to get traded just to get it all over with. They wanted the drama to become a distant memory.

However, The Brow was not traded to the Lakers or any other team before the trade deadline concluded. Awkward, indeed.

Thus, the all-world caliber player and NOLA would have to get through the remainder of the season together whether they liked it or not. According to the same source, that already high tension reached a boiling point of sorts in the latter part of the season.

Per Davis’ testimony, a Pelicans fan said some not so nice things to him upon the end of a game. The 26-year-old consequently did not hold back one bit. He returned the favor and evidently gave the spectator the middle finger while walking into the locker room.

Daniels transcribed Davis’ thoughts on the whole spiel, with the latter speaking to The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania about how sour his final days in New Orleans were and more.

"“It was just all the emotions bottled up in one … it just happened,” he told Charania. “That’s one thing I do regret.”"

Frankly, the star’s decision in the moment was not the wisest regardless of what the fan did or said. Nevertheless, AD seems to recognize his lapse in character and most people know such an action is not emblematic of his typical behavior.

Granted the Lakers’ star feels remorse about what occurred, it is unlikely New Orleans fans will be all too forgiving in the upcoming matchup.

On account of factors like that, Davis admitted in his interview that he will head into the contest feeling “nervous.” In the video, he tapped his fists together at one point to demonstrate how turbulent things became.

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That turbulence eventually led to the massive blockbuster that sent AD to Los Angeles over the summer. The NBA world erupted when the move occurred, but the ongoing struggle between Davis and New Orleans came to a halt.

Although his time with them is expired, it does not eliminate the history that was created. This is where it all began for the superstar. This is the team that gave him his shot in the league, so that “nervous” sensation Davis noted is understandable.

Given the circumstances, the interview also detailed the fact that AD went to LeBron James for feedback. James knows what it is like to play in front of a former fanbase, so he could relate to AD’s anxiousness.

Because the two have common ground here, that can be advantageous for the Lakers. The duo already has a strong bond, so to see that they can rely on each other when stress comes about is significant.

Wednesday night’s contest should be an exciting one to watch. A lot of emotion will naturally be there, which should allow both sides to elevate their game.

Accordingly, despite AD’s nervousness, it is reasonable to think he will be a little more motivated than normal. New Orleans may want to have a game plan in store for him, or it could a long night for them.