After playing a career-high 76 games, Anthony Davis put up another strong season for the Los Angeles Lakers, finishing fourth in Defensive Player of the Year and earning a spot on the All-Defensive First Team, All-NBA Second Team, and 2.3 blocks on 55.6% from the field.
Davis was also named to the Olympic team for Team USA, hoping to bring home a gold medal.
With fellow star LeBron James joining him along with other All-Stars, this presents a strong chance to, at the very least, win a medal. When thinking about the Paris Olympics, Davis shared that he is excited to be a part of the team and contribute towards winning the gold via Join The Lobby podcast:
I competed in the World Championships in 14′, but not the Olympics since 12′. Above all, I’m thrilled to be involved. In 12′, I was there, but I wasn’t. Since you play a significant role on our team, I’m excited and looking forward to playing. My wife and children got to come over and experience it because, obviously, I was single and had no one else at the time. Of course, I would take three gold medals if I had the opportunity to represent my nation and attempt to win another one. It might still be here in 28′, but will I ever get invited again?
I’m thrilled that man may now truly participate in it here, twelve years later. It’s like, all right, let’s go. That’s what I think I’m most excited about, to be honest: joining the actual squad instead of being the guy on the bench who checked in before remembering to bring his jersey. It promises to be an enjoyable experience, I assure you.
Naturally, as I mentioned in 12′, there was a ton of media coverage. However, given the state of the media today and the state of technology in the globe, I can guarantee that things will get even crazier. Consequently, I’m excited about it and can’t wait to experience it.
NBA players have additional obstacles in the Olympics as they compete against nations that have had teams together for a long time and against the best basketball players in the world. It appears that Davis is willing to take on the challenge and go above and beyond to return the gold medal to the United States.