LeBron James has publicly bid Anthony Davis a farewell following the blockbuster trade shipping Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in a deal to acquire Mavs star Luka Doncic.
On Sunday (Feb. 2), the day after the trade was announced, James took to social media to voice his appreciation and support for Davis as he embarks on the next chapter in his career.
“Love you my dog!!” the 40-year-old captioned a photo of Davis and himself embracing one another on the court.
LeBron James #23 and Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers stand on the court together during their game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on January 27, 2024 in San Francisco, California.
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“Go crazy over there! Woe 4L! See you soon,” James wrote, adding a string of emojis to further express his respect for the big man and sadness regarding his departure.
LeBron and Davis’ time as teammates with the Lakers began in 2019, when he joined the team following a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans, the team that drafted him first overall in the 2012 NBA Draft.
The pairing proved to be an immediate success, as James and Davis led the Lakers to an NBA championship during their first season as teammates in 2020, James’ fourth league title and Davis’ first.
(L-R) Rui Hachimura #28, LeBron James #23 and Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrate with the trophy after the team’s 123-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers to win the championship game of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament at T-Mobile Arena on December 09, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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James and Davis would play five-and-a-half seasons together in Los Angeles, marking each player’s longest tenure with a fellow All-NBA caliber performer.
Davis is joining a Mavericks squad that made the NBA Finals last season and includes talent such as Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Dereck Lively, and is coached by NBA Hall of Famer Jason Kidd.
Nico Harrison, the Mavericks general manager, spoke of the reasoning behind his decision to exchange a franchise cornerstone like Doncic for Davis, as he feels Davis’ dynamic skills as a two-way player will increase the Mavs’ championship hopes moving forward.
Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on prior to the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on January 07, 2025 in Dallas, Texas.
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“We really feel that defense wins championships, and we think the players that we’re bringing in add to the culture, which is important to what J-Kidd and I have been building here from day one,” Harrison said during a press conference on Sunday (Feb. 2).
“And then obviously, when you get an all-NBA player who’s also a first-team All-Defensive player, we think that’s gonna help us where we need it the most, on the defensive end.”
Davis, who is currently sidelined with an injury, is expected to return to the court in time to faceoff against the Lakers later this month, as the Mavs are scheduled to play his former team on Feb. 25.
See LeBron James’ Instagram post below.
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