03 October 2023 , 19:08
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NBA star LeBron James has labelled teammate Anthony Davis as “the face” of the Los Angeles Lakers.
James and Co. have begun building up to the 2023/24 NBA season which begins at the end of October. The 38-year-old is preparing for what will be his 21st season in the league, as he bids to win the fourth championship of his career.
The Lakers forward has been a teammate of Davis since the latter was traded to Los Angeles from the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019. Since then the duo have gone on to become star players for both the Lakers and the NBA.
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James has been one of the biggest stars in basketball for close to two decades, but the 19-time NBA All-Star believes it’s Davis who is the franchise player for the Lakers. Speaking on Monday at the team’s media day, James explained why Davis is an important player for Darvin Ham’s team.
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"He is the face [of the franchise]," James told . "You look at all these [retired] numbers that surround this facility, all the greats that have come here and AD is one of them."
James was also asked about the new contract that Davis signed with the Lakers during the off-season. On August 4 it was announced that the 30-year-old had put pen to paper on a three-year extension with the Lakers.
Davis had already had two years remaining on his previous deal in Los Angeles, with the extension keeping his contract to the Lakers until the end of the 2027/28 NBA season. The extension will see Davis earn an additional £154million ($186m), equalling a total of £223m ($270m) over the next five years.
"I was very, very happy and extremely proud," James said, when asked about Davis’ contract extension. "It's super dope to see him get that extension to be a part of his franchise for years and years and years.
Anthony Davis and LeBron James will be looking to win another NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers this season“And it's been a treat so far playing alongside him and I hope we can do some great things."
James, Davis and the Lakers will now be busy preparing for the start of the new NBA season. The pre-season schedule sees Los Angeles face the Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, and a double-header against the Golden State Warriors.
That will all be the build-up to the opening night game that will see the Lakers face Nikola Jokic and the reigning NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets.