The Los Angeles Lakers sent their top two players to Paris with the hope of seeing them win an Olympic gold medal. That goal was achieved, as Anthony Davis and LeBron James helped Team USA defeat France in an instant classic gold medal game to capture the highest honor in international basketball.
With the mission accomplished and the 2024-25 NBA season now less than three months away, Davis hopes to utilize the Olympic experience to his advantage.
Davis is now a two-time Olympic gold medalist, as well as a former NBA champion and NCAA champion. He's one of the most accomplished players of his generation, with accolades and titles won at virtually every possible level.
In an interview with Marc Spears of Andscape, Davis spoke about how he hopes to translate his success with Team USA to the 2024-25 NBA season.
"I can’t try to pace myself to prepare for the [NBA] season. If anything, this will get me in more shape and ready for the season. Obviously, we’re going to manage during training camp and preseason and maybe the first couple games of the season. But I try to stay in the present and focused on winning the gold right now."
The idea of Davis being in better shape for the 2024-25 season than he was heading into the 2023-24 campaign is a compelling possibility.
Anthony Davis expects Olympics to help him get in even better shape
Davis is coming off of a season in which he played a career-high 76 games. He also set career-best marks in rebounds, offensive rebounds, and assists per game, ranked No. 1 in the NBA in second chance points, and posted the second-best field goal percentage of his 12-year tenure in the Association.
In the process, Davis distinguished himself as the only player in the Association who was selected to both the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams in 2023-24.
Overall, Davis averaged 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.1 offensive boards, 3.5 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 1.2 steals on 55.6 percent shooting from the field. He also buried 81.6 percent of his free throws, thus solidifying his status as one of the most efficiently dominant players in the game.
Davis ranked No. 3 in the NBA in rebounds and defensive rebounds per game, No. 4 in blocks, No. 11 in offensive rebounding, and No. 14 in scoring among players who appeared in at least 60 outings.
Beyond the numbers, he was everywhere the Lakers needed him last season—especially on defense. Whether he was redirecting shots, switching against the perimeter, contesting three-point field goals, or taking on challenges in the post, Davis refused to shy away from his role as a defensive anchor.
On offense, he played through contact and further established himself as one of the most unstoppable interior forces in the NBA—ranking fourth in points in the paint.
Fresh off of spending the Olympics with the likes of James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, Davis is looking to return to the proverbial podium in 2024-25. He and James led the Lakers to a NBA championship just four years ago, and reached the Conference Finals as recently as 2022-23.
Perhaps a return to winning at the highest level is exactly what Davis and James needed to propel them to contending once more with the Lakers in 2024-25.