Anthony Davis will be back with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers for next season and beyond. Klutch Sports CEO and founder Rich Paul told ESPN on Thursday that Davis has signed a five-year, $190 million contract extension with the Lakers, who won the NBA Championship in October. The team announced the signing later on Thursday.
“In the Orlando bubble, Anthony Davis proved he is one of the game’s most complete and dominant two-way players,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “Now, Lakers fans get to watch AD continue to grow and lead our franchise for years to come. This is truly a blessed moment for Lakers Nation.” The signing makes Davis the centerpiece of the Lakers’ long-term future. He joined the Lakers last year via trade from the New Orleans Pelicans and helped the Lakers win their 17th title in franchise history and first since 2010. The signing comes after the team signed James to a two-year, $85 million contract extension.
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“When I first got traded, we were just talking about trying to figure out the team, the guys that we
wanted around us to compete for a championship,” Davis said after the team won Game 6 of the NBA finals to clinch the title. After the team was completed, we started talking about; we got enough to be champions.” Davis also talked about what winning a title means for him moving forward.
“It’s just part of your legacy, to say you’re a champion,” Davis added. “Not everybody can say that. I wanted to do the same thing in New Orleans. I was there for seven years. You want to go out there and compete for a championship every time you step on the floor. Got close, going to the second round. We thought we had a chance before DeMarcus [Cousisns] got hurt.”
Davis was named to the All-NBA First Team for the fourth time in his career this past season after averaging 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2,3 blocks and 1.5 steals in 62 games. He was named to the All-Star Game for the seventh time in his career and was named Western Conference Player of the Week twice. Davis was also selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the second time in his career. He’s the eighth player in NBA history to win an NBA title, an NCAA title and a gold medal.
